He was waiting for a response, and I was coming up blank.
The back-and-forth we had was engaging. But, there came a moment where I just didn’t know what to say next. I didn’t know what would be witty, or interesting, or just rude and cruel. I froze.
Ever experienced something like this?
We all have different preferences in conversation. Some treat it like a boxing match: jab and weave, make it a fun fight. Some treat it like a soapbox or a performance: tell the story, keep them entertained. Some treat it like a meditation: focus on being together and the quality of that.
None of these is right or wrong. But, it gets kind of awkward when I think we’re boxing and you think we’re meditating, and that guy over there is performing his heart out to nobody’s ears.
I call these different preferences Relating Languages.
In this article, I want to talk about how the intersections between Receptive and Expressive, Interactive and Didactic, influence our communication. First, let’s define terms:
Receptive languages are Questioning and Observing. They expect others to pause or ask questions to show interest before they share.
Expressive languages are Storytelling and Challenging. They offer information freely. They expect the other person…
