I learned the hard way that pauses in talk aren't always bad

I ran into my neighbor at the mailbox. We started talking about the weather, but then there was a long pause. Instead of filling it, I just smiled. He opened up about his job loss. Now I see that silence can let people share more.

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the_ben7mo ago

Yeah, my friend had a similar thing happen at a coffee shop. He just waited quietly while his buddy seemed stuck, and it all spilled out about a family worry. It really changed his view on just letting a quiet moment be.

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hugo6457mo ago

Why not try waiting a beat before jumping in?

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fionaf197mo ago

It's crazy how much we rush to fill silence now. I see it everywhere, like people can't handle a quiet gap in a chat without throwing out another question or a joke. That coffee shop story is spot on, sometimes the best thing you can do is just be quiet and let the other person find their words. It feels like we've all forgotten how to just sit with someone without trying to fix it right away. You ever notice how the real stuff only comes out after that awkward pause?

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