Exponential breakdown

I had an example today of how far apart two people might get in an incredibly short interval, once communication breaks down. I find it staggering.
Since I was one of the two people, I knew my side: I was puzzled, and frustrated and angry. I saw things with the very limited info of my point of view, for lack of other input.
Today a third party filled me in on where the other came from, and the other person’s own puzzlement and frustration. And from that other person’s perspective, I can understand it; not necessarily agree with it, but understand it.
What is sad and frightening to me is that in this instance, chance so happened to provide us with a third party who filled in some blanks for us. But had he not been there, the miscommunication was probably close to a point of no return. Yet when I finally understood, I realized the distance is not such that the chiasm cannot be bridged.

In other words, now that I understand where the other comes from, I'm confident the communication channel can be re-established. But had a third party not intervened, I believe the breakdown was too far along to be solved even if we had tried to talk.

Neither of us desired this breakdown. Yet it happened and would have jeopardized the relationship. I wish I knew a way to prevent such things.

An other thing I was reminded of is that a behaviour I found so totally puzzling, on August 3rd, can probably be explained very simply and logically. It ALL depends on where the person comes from, and THAT is simply something impossible to guess. My God, how complex we are!