Listening is a skill.
The best way to let the person you’re conversing with know that you heard what they said is to paraphrase what you heard.
If you watch carefully, you can often see the other person’s body shift ever so slightly when you do this. This shift is caused by the feeling that they’ve been heard. They have been validated.
Letting go of the desire to agree or understand is an essential part of listening. Each of us is unique, with our own perspective. So agreeing or understanding can be unreachable. Hearing what the other person is saying is possible.
When you’re in conversation with someone, slow down and listen.
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