The interpretation of the communicated message or active listening

Human communication, the process by which we exchange information with peers, is essential in the development of life, profession, in the relationships that we initiate, maintain or even interrupt. Communication involves a permanent transmission and reception of information, and when the permanence of these two processes is interrupted, communication disappears.

The transmitted information is encoded in symbols (words, numbers, images, etc.), and decoded by the receiver, the one who receives the information and who becomes immediately after decoding - the transmitter (through the feedback process). Factors that disrupt or interrupt communication occur in all processes: transmission, coding, decoding, feedback reception, etc., not being able to achieve a hierarchy of their severity or importance, but their knowledge can prevent communication errors.

Decoding the message is the process by which we give meaning to those symbols, to that encoded information transmitted by the sender, in order to understand the message transmitted. This process is significantly influenced by the education, culture, opinions, emotional state or emotional reactions of the recipient.

The coded message and symbols are subject to interpretation by the receiver, depending on the accuracy and quality of communication. Interpretation determines the meaning of the received message, which can favor or disfavor the communication process. The more objective the receiver manages to remain in the decoding process, without introducing interpretations that can distort the understanding of the message, the greater the fluency of communication.

This skill, although difficult to learn, necessary in the efficiency of human communication is the ability known as active listening. Only by listening can we make sense of the words we hear or read, the images we look at, and the emotions we face.