Communication by nature is fraught with error and it can happen on multiple levels. First, there is the difference between what I want to say and what I actually say. Then there can be errors between what I say and what the other person hears. That can lead to a gap between what the other person hears and how they interpret or misinterpret what I say. Then there’s what that person tells everyone else I said. Errors occur at each level. Don’t assume that just because you think you communicated something, that it was received perfectly. Check for understanding and even ask the other person to share what they understood from a conversation.
“Miscommunication gives birth to misunderstanding. Misunderstanding gives birth to mistrust and mistrust ultimately kills a relation.” —Raj Matwa Jat