Communication Between Men And Women

2 Pages 483 Words

“Effective Communication between men and women”

In today’s modern society, communication has become a very important issue in all aspects of our life but especially in relationships. Many times women and men don’t realize that to have a stable relationship they need to learn a good way to communicate. Deborah Tannen and John Gray both agree that men and women can understand each other better if they know and respect each other’s differences.

This situation may look too familiar to many couples that for years have struggled to avoid misunderstanding and improve their relationships. According to Tannen, “men and women talk differently because they are raised in something like two different cultures: a male culture from which young men learn to speak like men and a female culture in which young women learn to speak like women”. These two different types of talking can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Gray’s theory is similar to Tannen’s but one of the most remarkable differences is his metaphorical use of the planets Mars and Venus by which he doesn’t literally mean that men and women speak different languages, he means it as a way of thinking about relationships.

Although there is no definitive answer as to which type of theory is better, both authors offer their own unique advice to improve communication. One of the most important points in Tannen’s reading is understanding her “private-speaking or rapport talk” by this she means that women tend to feel more comfortable with people they feel close to and comfortable with. By “public speaking or report talk” she means that men feel better speaking in groups of large people. On the other hand, Gray offers a different perspective when he says that “to fully express their feelings, women use various superlatives, metaphors and generalizations. Men mistakenly take these expressions literally”. Also Gray explains in his reading that women a...