Misunderstandings happen all the time, especially when people jump to conclusions. Misunderstandings usually cause trouble because they generally occur by accident and don’t make light of a situation. They can make something appear to happen purposefully but in actuality, the issue is coincidental or even prone waiting to happen. I figure it’s all a time-based type of thing and sometimes even an emotional setback provided if one doesn’t allow a person enough time to fully speak out about something or they are cut off then the full story won’t be known.

Casual conversations can slowly indirectly involve misunderstandings such as when someone tells you their birthday but you buy them a present and a card for a day that’s way off from their birthday and that person is hurt or pissed because you got it wrong. Another touchy thing is people’s names in general. The person will tell you once—the first time you’ve met and maybe once or twice after that but thereafter it’s indicative that you get it memorized so that you don’t seem rude or inconsiderate when you see them and you’re grasping at straws to remember their name or at least something similar to it. I assume that that’s why pronouns were created; the ones in coherence with language arts: I, you, they, them but also pronouns people use to refer to as themselves: her, hers, she; he, him, his; them, they, theirs and others. There are some people out there who respond to facial feature and will remember features rather than a spoken variation of what someone calls/refers to themselves as. People seem to get irked if their name isn’t pronounced right or when they get confused with someone else because of their name. Names and their proper usage seem to be a thing of importance within societies as they usually state the level of connection one has with another.

Things like tricks during April Fools, pranks, and other what would commonly appear to be harmless jokes are misunderstandings behind the scenes really break someone down and earnestly hurt their feelings if taken too far. These are misunderstandings that are supposed to be funny or make the one, not on the receiving end laugh. One would ask why do these practically guaranteed comical forms of communication exist in the first place if they are capable of causing pain? Is it because they allow people a good laugh? Humans are almost always ready for a bit of entertainment, or spice, in their lives so that wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

I do not believe that misunderstandings and accidents are the same, close but no cigar. The reasoning being accidents have no premonition for them (though this is not always the case) and normally occur naturally, but with misunderstandings, there can be a risk of deception and betrayal playing a big part. There are pre-setup accidents and misunderstandings yet there is still a recognizable difference between the two. In books and media, the two are evident for example the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wild which involves the protagonist’s attempt to maintain a dual personage, with one that is fictitious and one as his regular self, all while deceiving many characters along the way. The popular SEGA character Sonic the Hedgehog is always in misunderstandings due to his lookalike Shadow the Hedgehog. Another book that comes to mind is Native Son in which the main character a chauffeur to a white family one point in the story kills the daughter of the house accidentally by smothering her with a pillow and as he tries to cover it up leads to more misunderstandings and lies because of them. I also wanted to include an incident I’m sure most people have heard about involving the gorilla by the name of Harambe that was shot and killed to protect the life of a child. Was this judgment right and was the child’s falling through the railing considering an accident or a misunderstanding? I’m certain nobody saw it coming and they had to make the ‘right call’ in that specific situation.

Misunderstandings can lead to new experiences but normally they get others to become angry or get thrown off by the situations that come from them. Have you ever been in a misunderstanding and if so how did it make you feel? It's normal for us to easily blow things out of proportion, some more than others, but this is a trait that can limit our understanding of communicating with others and listening to their perspective and judgments before the reactions start. It pushes us away from those people we love and befriend. So, take the time to consider that yes, misunderstandings happen, but also yes, you can turn them into a more positive, learning experiences so that future connections can be made.