What builds a barrier when the sender, receiver, or both fail to comprehend each other's feelings or thoughts?

Lack of empathy is crucial in communication because it directly impacts the ability of individuals to connect and understand each other’s feelings or thoughts. When empathy is absent, the sender may express ideas or emotions that the receiver struggles to relate to, leading to misunderstandings and ineffective communication. This disconnect can create a barrier where neither party feels heard or understood, hindering constructive dialogue and collaboration.

In contrast, media selection pertains to the tools used for communication and may affect clarity but does not inherently relate to emotional or cognitive misunderstandings. Time barriers involve issues such as timing or availability, which can affect communication but are not directly tied to comprehension of feelings or thoughts. Lastly, relationship barriers often arise from personal dynamics or history between individuals but are not as fundamentally linked to the inability to comprehend emotions or thoughts as the lack of empathy is.