Misunderstanding those closest

Basically, we have a tendency to overestimate how much common assumption or knowledge we share with others, especially those close to us. So we speak or write more elliptically, and then they don't get it and we get frustrated. ...

In real life situations, the assumptions people make about what another person knows has many consequences, Keysar said. Doctors, for instance, often communicate quickly with each other and may miscommunication because they don't realize the other physician is getting new information when they are discussing a treatment program, he suggested.

Of course, keep it in perspective, all language has to select from a huge number of potential details to focus on some and to assume that our conversation partner knows the rest or can fill in the details themselves. So this is not an issue of not making assumptions but of fine tuning them in community and communicating in such a way as the channels to clear up misunderstanding, miscalibrations if you will, are as clear as possible.
ScienceDaily: Why Even Close Associates Sometimes Have Trouble Communicating: Filed in: communication, language, assumptions, sharing, commonality, research