A friend venting doesn’t always want a fix. And you don’t always have to provide one.

Being listened to and being advised are two different requests, and jumping to the second can leave somebody feeling managed rather than heard. The urge to fix it usually comes from your own discomfort at watching a friend struggle, not from anything they asked for. Sitting with it is harder and often more useful. You are also allowed not to have an answer.

Ask whether they want help thinking it through or just want to say it out loud, then do that one. If you catch yourself drafting solutions, put them down and listen.