During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, U.S Marines and some police officers responded to a hostage situation... You see, the Marines are not the guys you want for domestic duties. Their primary focus is on combat operations. The 1992 L.A. riots were intense... There was massive looting, over 3,000 fires, a billion dollars in property damage, 2,383 injuries, 12,000 arrests, and 63 lives lost. It was a big deal, so in addition to the 10,000 National Guard deployed, President George Bush Snr. invoked the Insurrection Act and sent in active-duty troops to help bring the situation under control. Back to the hostage situation... As two police officers approached the door, a shot rang out from inside the building. They docked. Then one of them shouted to the Marines, who were behind them, "Cover me!" Big mistake... For the police, "cover me" means "be prepared to fire if the situation necessitates it". To the Marines, "cover me" means "provide covering fire". So the Marines unloaded 200 rounds into the building... Luckily, no one was hurt. Lesson: In the course of life, you will inevitably interact with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and with different perspectives. If you wish to communicate effectively with them, or to form a connection, then you have to speak to them in their "language". “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” ––– Tony Robbins