Hearing what you want.

I have had a terrible painful elbow for a few months. It took a great many antibiotics to reduce the swelling and a good long time also. 

But even now I am aware of it being tender.  It is amazing how many times in the course of a day that you bump your elbow without being aware that you are.  I am very aware because the slightest touch on mine at the moment and I feel the pain. 

I was telling somebody this just yesterday. They said that they never hit their elbow, they were very careful, maybe I am rough and a bit thoughtless. 

Maybe I am, but I sure as hang no that I bump my elbow frequently. I told my friend about that discussion and he agreed with the person I had it with. "You don't bump your elbow all that often unless you are careless."

Strangely enough both have now changed their minds about that. Why?

Because now that I have put it in their minds they have become aware of just how often it suffered little bumps in the course of the day.

That upon which you concentrate is what you become aware of.

It is the same with the written word. If you are reading something but your mind is not fully concentrated on the actual words you insert your own thoughts and a misreading can occur. From that misreading a misunderstanding can so easily follow. 

This is similar to the spoken word,  often "clever" politicians can say things in such a way that people think they heard what was said. A later analysis of the actual words will show they said something very different but they have by then scored the point. 

A well respected surgeon was relaxing on the sofa with his wife one evening not long after a long day in theatre.

The phone rang and the doctor calmly answered it. A quiet voice at the other end of the line said they needed a fourth person to make a four for poker. 

"I will be right over said the doctor," in a firm and assertive voice.

As he was putting on his jackets wife asked, "Is it serious?"

"Oh yes very serious," said the doctor gravely. "In fact there are already three doctors in attendance." 

Have a wonderful day.