Usually when someone is venting at me, I feel like I should respond somehow and say something, but I have no idea what that something could/should be. Is it better to just listen or try to comfort them in some way?

  • Jon-H558
    link
    fedilink
    12 years ago

    That would be just taking in the information but not giving any sort of feedback. Like sitting in a lecture that doesn’t allow questions, but in a 1to1

    • @SomeoneElse
      link
      12 years ago

      Tbh, I’m struggling to imagine when that style of passive listening would be appropriate one to one, outside of something like marriage counselling or an argument when “you’ve had your chance to speak, now let me speak without interrupting”. Nobody wants to vent to a brick wall with no absolutely no feedback at all do they? Or maybe they do and I’m just weird!

      • Jon-H558
        link
        fedilink
        12 years ago

        No and thats the point, passive listening is not suitable for 1to1 interactions and some form of active listening should always be employed