6.28.2014

How to avoid an awkward silence

It sometimes happens when you run out of topics and the flow of conversation just get cut off, followed by a long, awkward-feeling silence.
Those temporary "Well.." and "Hmm." fill a short period of time. But after that, there will be a moment that you and your conversation partner start to wonder if you should take a break for a while and give each other some private time, or bring up a new topic and keep going. It's a never-ending problem that many people have to deal with, who are not that talkative with a limited lines of topics.

The awkward silence occurs to me, too. Especially when the person I'm talking to is not so fluent in conversations like me. There at some people with whom I can never stop talking. They are good at facilitating discussions and keeping good balance between talking and listening. What they say functions as a seed for another interesting topic that activates your brain more and lets you talk more.

That's the ideal, very pleasant person to talk with. Not everyone can do it, I know. So, preparation makes perfect. Knowing the enemy is the perfect step. I hold myself worrying too much about being too talkative and being the one who dominates the conversation, annoying other people.
I think I am worried too much about nothing. I sometimes feel that I am relying on my conversation partner too much for talking. No one will be comfortable with being the only one to be chatting. I should lean more and respond promptly at the right time to fuel the conversation.
It's okay to be assertive, to some extent. I think I have equipped observation skills to notice it when the person feels bored or uncomfortable, or frustrated at my talkativeness. (Less likely to happen?)

Let's start with making a list!

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