People's Favorite Word

Have you ever been venting to a friend or family member about a tough day you've had?  Chance are good that you have if you are human because we all of those kinds of days....days where you just need to complain.  What is the first thing out of the person's mouth when you vent to them?




Chances are that person's first response was.....Sorry.  That always seems to be the first word I hear from people when I feel the need to share talk about negative things in my life.  It seems to be people's favorite response.

I'm cold. 

Sorry.

My boss called in sick today and I had to deal with two angry customers.

Sorry.

I had to have my mandatory phone call with a family member today.

Sorry.  

I got bit by a dinosaur today.

Sorry.

It is what people say when to fill silence in a conversation when they don't know what to say to make things better.  It is what people say when they don't really care about what you are talking about but feel the need to participate in the conversation in some way.  It's just what people say.  It is increadibly annoying.

Now don't get me wrong.  I do it too sometimes.  When I do I am annoyed with myself.  I am annoyed that I couldn't come up with something better, more meaningful, to say to the person to make them feel better.  I am annoyed that this person is talking to me and I can't find it in myself to really get into the conversation.

What we all need to realize, myself included, is that sometimes people just need to talk.  They are not always looking for somebody to make them feel better or to have an answer to their situation.  They just need to get things off their chest and they just want somebody to listen.  You don't always need to respond because just saying sorry is probably not what they want or need to hear.  They just need to know that you heard them and that you care.  There are times that they don't even care that you are not invested entirely in the conversation because they just need to talk.

Sometimes people just need to say the words out loud, in order to keep the situation or words from plaguing them for the rest of the day or in the coming days.

We also need to remember when we are the ones venting to not get annoyed with someone when their first response is sorry.  This is their way of showing that they are listening and that they care about us even if they don't care about the conversation topic.

Sorry is people's favorite word and the most annoying word.