What are the main barriers to effective interpersonal communication Essay

What are the main barriers to effective interpersonal communication and how might they be overcome - Essay Example (Agricultural Communications, 1999) Emotion is a strong force. When people are emotional, it usually makes communication ineffective because they cannot think clearly. For instance, a person who is very angry might use words that show frustration and anger that might end up delivering the wrong message to the recipient. Moreover, sometimes, the recipient might only hear the words, but miss out the feelings attached to them. For instance, â€Å"I am not bothered† might project unhappiness, fear, boredom, or other similar feelings. It is therefore very important for the recipient to not only hear the words being communicated, but also to combine the words and the feelings together in order to understand the message properly. It is also possible that a person, overpowered by emotions, may have his or her mind made up before the communication even starts (Samson & Daft, 2003). For example, an individual who is angry about a subject and about to start an argument with somebody on that very topic will not be ready to compromise on his beliefs. This will make the other person’s efforts of communication ineffective and communication will fail. Each person is different. Due to the different background of experiences in life, every person has a different and unique way of looking at the world. In other words, everyone has a different perception of things around him or her. When a person receives a message, he has a unique way of interpreting the message based on his learning and understanding. This difference in perception can become a barrier for effective communication. (Agricultural Communications, 1999) This barrier can be characterized by a lack of common experience. This also includes the difference in lack of common linguistics. If the parties are not familiar with each others’ languages and vocabularies, then communication will not be effective. Moreover, it is important to understand that a difference in