It is not unusual to misinterpret or misunderstand incoming communications.  What we hear, read or see is impacted by our personal filters.

The way we develop our thinking processes and behaviors have been demonstrated to be strongly influenced by our environment (i.e., nurture vs nature).

Adversarial Reaction

My own sad experience is frequently we react based on what we understood.  This can often be critical or derogatory and insult the communicator.

They do not immediately conclude the issue is not disagreement but rather a misunderstanding.  Responding or questioning ideas or thoughts of others based on your perceptions is normal, however, to be effective the probing should be open-ended.

Otherwise, it is not unusual for the discussion to become an argument.  I am fascinated by how frequently these arguments are resolved by both parties acknowledging they are saying similar or identical things, just in different ways.

Seek to Understand, then React

Although it is not always the natural way to respond it usually results in a more collaborative discussion when clarifications are crafted as seeking help rather than questioning what has been shared.

An example of this approach could be  ” When you describe X, I am a little confused about the detailed expectations and rational, can you provide a bit more explanation”.

As opposed to “That is stupid, makes no sense, this is what I would do”.  Ultimately the resolution to the differences could just require a better understanding by all parties of the issues, recommendations, and associated benefits or drawbacks.

Before reacting, give it some thought.