Communication Frustration

I have been processing a minor revelation about the extent to which miscommunication occurs. The trigger for this revelation was a conversation with the head of my program and the discovery that one of my projects was evaluated on terms I did not attempt/intend to meet. Let me make this more clear: I was trying to discuss the context for a performance while he evaluated me for a performance analysis. I spent more time discussing the reviews, articles published in the local papers during the performances, and the introductory words from the playwright (preface to the script and published in the programme); I didn't actually discuss audience reception much nor did I discuss details of the performance except in relation to reviews. Clearly, this was a bad approach to performance analysis in which presenting details of the performance are key.

I recently read an essay by Roland Barthes in which he comments on something very similar. He says criticizing a person's poor French when the person is speaking Chinese will yield an evaluation of poor French skills. It's a great example of hearing what you want to hear more than what the other person is saying. Or missing a key piece of information that would clarify things and make them less difficult/confusing.

I don't suppose this would bother me as much if I didn't take communication so seriously (and personally). Now I am psyching myself up to write my dissertation which I intended to be a continuation of the previously mentioned work. I am currently having doubts about this choice because I don't know if I want to risk being misunderstood again. On the other hand, the head of department assured me that he thinks I am bright.