A lack of, or a breakdown in communication is probably the main reason why so many marriages and relationships fail. If you are able to communicate effectively with you partner then you really have nothing to tie you together. You have to be able to communicate you wants and needs, you hopes and dreams, and to share what is happening in your life.
Communication is not just about sharing your information, it is also about being able to effectively listen, if you can not hear what your partner is saying, then understand your partners needs? Your ability to understand could also lead to resentment in you partner, as their perception of the situation could be that you do not care. There are a number of common and social barriers to effective communication that can make relationships a wee bit stressful.
It can be very difficult to actively listen to someone, that is because your mind is automatically working out how you will respond, or it's just one of those days when you can hear the words but nothing sinks in. If you can not hear what is being said to you then you could miss something important, it could also lead to resentment from your partner if you do not respond to what they have said. When your partner is talking then look them in the eye, show that you are giving them your full attention, let them say what they need to say without interruption, and if you do not understand something then ask questions until you do.
Have you ever noticed that if someone is being not quite honest about something, that their body language can say the complete opposite. This is not something that happens to other people, it happens to everyone. You posture, general demeanor, gestures and facial expressions can all give you away if you are hiding something. Now you could be completely innocent, but if you look like your hiding something or are uneasy about something then your partner will become justifiably suspicious.
If you can not connect with your partner then you have problems, and by connecting I mean being able to share your feelings, your emotions. You have to be able to let your partner know your desires and needs, and your hopes and dreams, if they do not know how they can help you with them. If you are in a relationship, then it's a reasonable assumption that you love your partner. How does your partner know that you love them? If you do nothing to communicate your feelings to them then they might think that you do not love or care for them, and if they think that then they have no reason to stay.
You are both two different people with your own history, lives, interests, friends, perspective, ideas and beliefs. At some point you are going to argument or disagree. This is fine because it highlights that there is a problem that you can work together to deal with. Do you deal with the problem from your perspective, your partners, or from a joint perspective. What might be something trivial to you could be of great significance to your partner. If you are unable to understand your partners perspective then how can you expect to understand your partner. If you are unable to come together and consider the problem from all angles, then you are likely to argue over what to do, be unable to resolve things amicably, and end up resenting each other.
You might have been hurt in previous relationships. You may have divorced or split up and been unable to resolve your issues. Such experiences will leave their mark on you and it is quite possible that you have trust issues or that you are emotionally insecure. If you are unable to trust then you will view everyone with suspicion, you will view your partnership with speculation, you will just be marking time until your trust is betrayed ahead. If you do not trust someone then how can you get close to them, and if you do not trust them they will need to be a special person to stay with you. On the other hand insecurity can lead you to fear expressing your feelings because you fear rejection.
If you are unable to express yourself then your partner will not be aware of what you need, they might even think that you are happy and content. Insecure people can become emotionally withdrawn and unable to handle anything that their partner says, viewing everything as critical of them. Emotional problems can be deal with, but you need to talk to your partner about how you feel, until you can do that your emotions will remain a serious barrier to effective communication.
These are just some of the common emotions and social barriers to effective communication. If you have problems in communication it can be difficult to know what to do, the sad thing is that you could be with the love of your life, but unless you let them know you could lose them. You need to be able to admit to yourself that you have a problem. Once you can admit that you have a problem then you can look at dealing with it. To maintain effective communication in a relationship you have to talk to your partner, you have to tell them if you have problems, you have to be able to understand who they are and respect them for, and you have to be able to listen and respond intelligently to what you hear.