One comment about my laugh changed how I talk to people

My coworker Dave said I laugh like a goose honking. At first I was hurt. Then I realized I was laughing to fill awkward silences, not because things were funny. I stopped forcing laughs and now conversations feel more real. Has anyone else had someone point out a habit you didn't know you had?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakotab9323d ago

That comment about filling awkward silences really hit home for me. Most people just get told they sound weird and stop there, but you actually figured out the reason behind it. That's the part nobody talks about - sometimes those little quirks aren't just random habits, they're signals about how we're trying to protect ourselves or fit in. Ever notice how much easier conversations flow when you stop treating silence like a emergency that needs fixing?

cole_baker23d ago

@dakotab93 that last line you wrote about stopping to treat silence like an emergency really stuck with me. I used to jump in and talk about anything just to fill the space, but it always felt forced and people could tell. Then I tried something different where I'd just let the quiet sit for a second and see what happened. Most of the time the other person would pick it back up with something more real than my panicked rambling. It's kind of wild how silence can actually make a conversation better instead of worse once you get used to it. Still feels awkward sometimes but way less than before.

wilson.joseph23d ago

@cole_baker I get what you're saying but I actually think sometimes silence is a sign something's off, not always a chance for them to open up. Not every quiet moment means they're about to share something deeper - sometimes they're just uncomfortable and waiting for you to bail them out.