A review by itsmejennigee
We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter by Celeste Headlee

challenging funny informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

On the regular, I’ve told people that just because something is mentioned doesn’t mean it needs to be fixed. I also learned to offer silence when friends start to complain or explain something they’re frustrated about but I’ll always ask questions without giving advice. Even when there has been some interaction that seems like it’s gone off, I ask directly, “am I doing something that…” because part of that may be the people pleasing but I also assume that I’ve made a mistake before others have. While this doesn’t make me perfect because no one is, I have noticed a lot of the same issues because others don’t know how to respond to it and make assumptions rather than listening to what I’m asking/saying, or not asking/saying. I have had a lot of really amazing conversations and many of my friends have some kind of history that they now feel needs to come with a disclaimer because of how others have responded. While that’s unfortunate and I feel for them, it’s also kind of ensuring they’ll have better connections with those who actually take a beat and give others a chance.