Question

Think of a time when you misunderstood a message. What was your psychological state at the time? Do you think you would have understood the message differently if you had been in a different psychological state?

Answer 1

There have been times when I have been upset over other things which made me misinterpret a message. For instance my manager called me urgently and this call generated high insecurity over my job prospects.

I had just gotten the news that my cousin was laid off and I was in that state of mind. So when I was urgently called, I carried the same feelings. This made me react in a different way as I was more timid and closed during the meeting.

Had I been in a happy state, I would have taken the message ositively and gone better prepared. Also I would have been more confident in facing my manager as well as open to further discussion.