Try this when you don't know what to say

If you don’t have a response during a conversation or you want to better a conversation, one thing you can do is to paraphrase what the other person is saying. This doesn’t mean becoming a parrot and repeating exactly word for word of what they said. Paraphrasing is you expressing in your own words, or mostly in your own words, and without judgment, of what you believed the other person had said. So you can start with the responses by saying, “I hear that you’re saying x, y, and z” or “Hey, I want to make sure I heard you correctly, you said x, y, and z.” And if you missed something or you didn’t fully capture what it was that they said, they’re going to let you know in their follow up responses. So by paraphrasing, you’re increasing clarity in the communication as well as understanding between you and the other person. You’re also demonstrating to them that you’re listening or you’re trying to pay attention to them. And when people feel heard or see that you’re making an effort in connecting with them or in understanding their viewpoints, they’re going to feel good and they’re going to feel more connected with you, which means they’re probably going to like you even more. This also helps you to stay present in the conversation so you’re not in your head daydreaming, or thinking of something else, or thinking of what to say next. Thank you for watching.