If you take time to listen to understand, and THEN decide your response, your conversation partner will appreciate that. You could turn the tone completely if it was heading badly. A lot of us are guilty of listening to respond just to say something because we want to be heard. If we just pause and listen to understand the other person, you’ll gain another perspective, use empathy, or even just learn something you didn’t know before. Either way, it deepens your relationship. Think of it as leveling up in communication skills. This works for friends, children, mothers-in-law, etc. Try it, and let me know the outcome.
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