Be A Good Listener, Avoid These 5 Things When Friends Are Talking

Illustration of a friend having a conversation (Unsplash/Roberto Nickson)

JAKARTA – As a wise friend, of course you know how to carry yourself properly and not to do it in a certain condition. Well, when friends are venting, it is necessary to be a good listener. Therefore, avoid doing the following things.

1. Change the subject

When someone needs a support system, at that time he also needs to be heard. Especially when hit by events that make him down. So, when a friend is venting, avoid diverting the topic of the conversation that he started to open. Just follow the flow of the conversation until he feels enough.

Changing the subject also doesn't show that you're paying attention to what your friend is saying.

2. Too many comments

Someone who is upset, just needs to be heard. This means limiting the chat room from your point of view and giving your best friend a chance to pour out her heart first.

3. Give an assessment

Judging or judging someone's actions, especially to friends who are venting, is not appropriate. When your friend needs a reliable place to talk, respect him and avoid overloading his mind with judgments and judgments from your point of view as a listener.

4. Leaking the story

Trust is a pillar of a healthy friendship. So if friends, close friends, or relatives tell you about personal things, it's best to keep the secret closed. By divulging other people's personal secrets, it has undermined trust.

5. Taking the story as trivial

Everyone has problems that cannot be compared. That is, friends confide in also have problems that cannot be measured by other people's problems. So try to stay calm, set a body gesture that reflects that you care for your friend.

Being a good listener and giving positive support is not easy. Especially in an equally limited situation like the current pandemic. However, being a good listener is the wisest way no matter how difficult it is.