Have you ever caught yourself nodding along in a conversation to keep it going, even though you had no idea what was being said?
Or maybe you’ve been on the other side, trying to explain something that made perfect sense in your head, only to realize the other person looks completely lost.
Those moments can be awkward. You want to stop, rewind, and say, “Wait—let’s start over.”
You just want to understand, or be understood.
Nat Turner once said, “Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity.”
Let’s take a closer look at what that means.
Confusion can be one of the most uncomfortable feelings.
It leaves you feeling out of step, unsure, and sometimes even a little embarrassed.
When things aren’t clear, people fill in the blanks with assumptions.
Misunderstandings grow. Minor issues can turn into big ones simply because we didn’t take the time to communicate better.
Clarity feels completely different. It’s light.
It’s the moment when everything finally clicks, when both people understand each other, and the tension disappears.
The conversation starts to flow again, naturally and easily.
And this isn’t just about personal conversations.
Throughout history, poor communication has caused huge problems, arguments that escalated, policies misread, and discoveries that got buried because the message wasn’t clear enough.
On the other hand, open and honest communication has had the opposite effect.
It’s brought people together, solved conflicts, and helped ideas grow into real change.
So how do we get better at this?
It starts with being intentional about how we talk and how we listen.
Honest communication isn’t just about words; it’s about paying attention, asking questions, and being open to what the other person is trying to say.
It takes time and effort, but each small step we take brings us closer to that bridge between confusion and understanding.
As we build it, we start connecting more deeply with others, working better together, and expressing ourselves with more confidence.
So the next time a conversation starts to feel tangled or unclear, remember Nat Turner’s words.
That bridge of good communication is always there—you have to choose to cross it.