The Answer Isn't The Point

There is one answer you will get more than any other to Awkward Silence questions - “I don’t know”.

The reason is that most people haven’t been asked these questions before. They don’t have pre-packaged answers that they have dished out in stock-standard conversations hundreds of times already.

And this is good. It gives people a chance to put some thought into the question, tease it out.

This is often the best part of the questions - the deliberation, the thought process, the evolution of an answer.

Sometimes you don’t even get to the answer, and this is fine. The answer isn’t the point.

Conversations has many benefits that have nothing to do with the actual factual answer to the question.

1.     Conversation connects. It is the biggest building block of any relationship.

2.     Conversation is thought-provoking. It makes you think about the world and about yourself, leading to new decisions, directions, or outlook.

3.     Conversation is fun. You can have some laughs.

4.     Conversation helps you learn about the other person. Even if you don’t discover an answer to the question, you’ll still discover more about their personality by listening in on their thought process.

5.     Conversation shows you care. If you are making time for someone and showing interest in them, it demonstrates that they are valued.

Don’t worry about the answer. Just think out loud.

Let’s talk.