Sometimes, in order to know what’s happening, seeing the message delivered is not enough; you have to see how it’s received, too.

I drove past a man who was pointing at a woman and yelling. It seemed like a fight was occurring.

But then, I saw the woman laughing and nodding her head.

What initially seemed like an altercation was more likely a person telling an amusing story of someone losing his temper.

The delivery told a partial story. It was the reception that brought some clarity to the interaction.

And with us, too, it’s not just our words that matter; it’s the way they’re received that completes the story.