I guess most, if not all of us, will have the experience of being misunderstood at one time or another. Misunderstanding can be painful, especially when it involves those who are dear to us, or situations that are important to us. Misunderstanding may even be detrimental to our reputation or safety. A recent study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that when people don’t display strong emotions during a traumatic event, others are more likely to suspect them of wrongdoing, or even of committing a crime. How can we best manage the perceptions of others to reduce the risk of misunderstanding, and its potential negative consequences? Most would agree that the best answer is clear communication. The clearer the message sent, the more accurate the understanding of the receiver of the message is likely to be. Let us always seek to make our meaning clear, checking as far as we can that others have understood it correctly. When our message is clear, people may not always like it, but at least they will understand it!