Misleading or Misreading

Make no mistake, miscommunication often arises from two sneaky culprits: misinformation and misinterpretation. Whether we realize it or not, both play a huge role in how messages get tangled, leading us to question who’s really at fault.

When conversations go awry, the knee-jerk reaction for most is to point the finger and claim they’ve been misled. Defensive walls go up, and accusations fly faster than we can pause to ask ourselves a simple question: "Did I misunderstand?"

Seldom do we take a step back to consider whether we might have been the ones to misread, mishear, misuse, or downright misunderstand the information presented to us. It’s easier to blame someone else for being misleading than to admit we’ve gotten the message wrong. After all, who wants to admit that they might not have been paying enough attention or jumped to conclusions too quickly?

But let’s get real for a second—being misled and misreading are two different things. One is intentional, the other is often accidental. Yet both lead to the same outcome: confusion and frustration. The challenge is in recognizing the difference before we misjudge the entire situation.

So, before we cry foul and accuse someone of being misleading, maybe it’s worth taking a moment to check ourselves. Were we truly misled, or did we misread?