Here's a folktale from the medieval Muslim world with a powerful lesson about overcoming communication barriers: One day, the wise fool Mulla Nasruddin is sitting in a local teahouse when the town doctor walks in. Nasruddin says to him: "I'm worried about my wife. She seems to have grown hard of hearing. Do you know of any cure for this?" The doctor replies: "Bring her to my clinic and I can take a look at her eardrums. But before that, try this test. When you go home this evening, call out to your wife from the gate. If you don't hear a response from her, then inch a bit closer and try saying something to her from the front door. Keep moving closer to where she is until she answers you. This will help you gauge how serious the hearing loss is."