Practice Correcting Ambiguous Language

Ambiguous language, full of vague and unclear words, is a major cause of misunderstanding and conflict in relationships.

Phrases like "I'll get to it later," "be good," or "that bothers me" can mean completely different things to different people, leading to frustration when expectations are not met.

This practical exercise is designed to help you become aware of how you use language and develop the ability to communicate more accurately and directly.

Goal of the Exercise

The objective of this activity is to improve the accuracy of your language to avoid misunderstandings in your daily interactions.

Practice Instructions

Step 1: Identify a Recent Situation

Take a moment to think about a recent conversation in which a misunderstanding occurred due to the use of unclear language.

Reflect and ask yourself: did I use vague or imprecise words that could have caused the confusion.

Step 2: Rewrite your Message Clearly and Directly

Once you have identified the situation and the ambiguous message, the next step is to write a clearer and more direct version of what you really wanted to communicate at the time.

The goal is to transform vagueness into specificity. Practical Example:

• Ambiguous Message: "I don't like it when you do that."
• Clear and Direct Message: "I feel uncomfortable when you interrupt me while I'm talking, because I can't finish expressing my idea."

As you can see, the second version is much more effective because it specifies the specific action ("you interrupt while I'm talking") and the impact it has on you ("I feel uncomfortable," "I can't finish my idea").

Step 3: Final Reflection

To conclude the exercise, reflect on the impact of your communication.

Ask yourself: How effective was the ambiguous language I ori