A friend stops by and you sit on the couch and talk for a while. The conversation ends and as she is walking out the door she says, “I talked way too much! Next time I need to hear about what is going on with you!”
It is the weekend and you finally get to go out to dinner with your spouse. You let him/her choose what you will talk about first.
You invite a group over and you are talking at the table after dinner. There is a pause in the conversation and no one says anything. You are comfortable with the silence and do not feel the need to jump start the discussion right away.
You are putting together an important spreadsheet when your cell phone rings. You take the call but while you are on the phone, you avoid working on your computer.
You enjoy hearing other’s perspectives and don’t feel threatened by differing opinions.
Your child asks, “Did you hear what I said?”
It was nice to go on a walk with your sister today because you got a chance to tell her all about what is happening in your life right now. You'll hear about her some other time.
You are at a friend’s house for a night out with the girls. They start asking about your family, your job, etc. You gladly answer all their questions and enjoy being the focus.
After lunch with a friend, you realized you had forgotten to ask about him/her. The conversation was dominated by what is going on in your life.
While walking to work, you ran into an old friend from high school. As you talked for a few minutes, you made frequent eye contact and were not distracted by people-watching or cars passing by.
Your teenager walks into the kitchen and needs to tell you something. Even though you are in the middle of writing a text, you set the phone down to hear what they have to say.
You were talking with a good friend who had a lot to say. It almost seemed like she wasn't coming up for air, but instead of interrupting, you allowed her to finish her train of thought.
Your aunt called to tell you all about her trip to Greece. It was so fun to hear every detail – from the hotels to the restaurants to the museums. You loved it all!
You recently had to defend how you felt about a topic and didn’t feel comfortable ending the conversation until you believed you were understood.
Your coworker was telling you about their weekend. You frequently had to jump in and comment or you wouldn't have gotten a word in edgewise.
While your spouse tells you about their day, you finish up the dinner dishes, make a grocery list and look for the remote to the tv.
