Listen for what they skipped. The part someone rushes past is usually the part that matters.

REFLECTION

WHAT THIS MEANS

The gap is often the subject. When someone moves quickly past a part of their own story, the speed is usually doing work: it hurts, or it is unresolved, or they have not decided what they think about it yet. People rarely skip what is unimportant. They skip what is expensive.

Listen for the sentence that gets summarised when everything around it was detailed. Do not pounce on it, since the rush was a form of protection. Ask gently, later, whether they want to say more about that part, and accept no as an answer.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

What did your friend rush past the last time you talked?

MORE IN PERCEPTION & ATTENTION

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