Adapt Your Message to People Who Understand It, Not to Those Who Refuse
You cannot expect to be perfectly understood all the time. Despite this, many of us are still trying. If most people understand what you are trying to say, you are only wasting your energy adapting your message to people who won’t.
If misunderstood, it can feel like a loss. If you are a boss trying to get your team to work, you may become obsessed with one employee who is resisting. If you share your thoughts on the Internet, you may be hindered by someone who always contradicts you. As author Seth Godin explains, they can be turned on, but once you start adapting your message to people who might still refuse to understand your message, you start diluting it:
When you find yourself rewriting, accepting redundancy, and overwhelming people with small print, you’re probably protecting yourself from 2% at the expense of everyone else … hearing from us, often in a futile attempt to please a few people who may never want to listen.
It’s okay to say, “This is not for you.”
Misunderstanding is such an unpleasant feeling that many of us would rather just avoid people who do not “understand” us completely. Sometimes it’s okay! However, when it comes to working or spreading your ideas, expect little resistance. It’s just part of living in peace with people who are different from you.
2% who misunderstand you | Seth Godin