1. Define your terms

All communication depends on a common understanding of what is being discussed. It is most risky to conduct a discussion without a definition of the key terms. Much misunderstanding and conflict in this world relates to mis-communication and the primary cause of poor or failed communication is a failure to define one's terms.

This is because much of human understanding relates to human expectations. Our expectations help to determine how we feel and, consequently, how we think about things.

Many, many of our expectations depend on our specific definitions of words and ideas. For example, what we expect others, and ourselves, to do and how we expect others and ourselves to act when someone says, "I love you."

There are many types of love: the love of parents for their children (parental love), love for your friends (friendship), love of a game (baseball?) and romantic love (between a man and a woman, usually involving some physical contact...).

What do you mean when you say you love something or someone? Most of the time, the meaning is clear. But when you tell another person that you love them romantically, what does that mean to you? Do you worship the other person? Or do you put the other person on a pedestal? Or does it mean that you want to spend all your time with the other person? Or that you want a physical relationship with the other person?

You will find that it is useful to know the answers to these and other questions as you engage in loving relationships.

In much the same way, you will find it useful to define your terms whenever you are considering a problem, question or issue.

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