It’s not the first time this has happened. You replay the events in your head, trying to work out where you went wrong.

But deep down, you realize that you’ve acted without thinking, based on assumptions rather than really understanding the people around you.

It’s the same in your private relationships.

How many times have you found yourself at one of those parties where everything seems perfect, until it’s not.

Until you notice a change in the atmosphere.

For example, a subtle change in tone and attitude in one of your friends, which you don’t understand and decide to ignore … until a few days later, when you realize that this friend is harboring a resentment you didn’t see coming.

And then the realization hits: you’ve been blind to the true feelings of those around you, relying on superficial interactions rather than really understanding what was going on underneath.

It’s a tough pill to swallow.

We all like to think we know our colleagues, friends and loved ones, but the truth is we often miss the subtle clues that reveal their true emotions.

We hear the words they say, but we don’t always pick up on the unspoken signals – the fleeting expressions, the body language, the tone that tells a different story.

And the result?

Misunderstandings, hurt feelings and relationships that slowly drift apart.

Here’s the hard truth: our greatest frustrations and failures often stem from our inability to truly understand those around us.

Let’s face it, we’re all the same. Most of us think we’re already very good at reading people.

We assume we know what’s going on in the minds of those around us.