I think what was meant to be empowering somehow got blown out of proportion. Listen, sometimes you absolutely do need to explain yourself. Not because you’re defensive or need approval. There are a number of valid and positive reasons.

We’re increasingly encouraged to avoid uncomfortable conversations, protect our peace, disengage, move on, and stop explaining. I get it, sometimes it’s necessary, but sometimes it’s avoidance.

At the same time, fewer people seem willing to listen without immediately becoming defensive, taking something personally, or preparing their response. Listening to understand requires humility. It requires being willing to consider that maybe you don’t know everything. Maybe your assumption was wrong.

Maybe someone’s experience is different from yours. I think we’re losing something important when we treat every explanation as overexplaining and every difficult conversation as something we should simply walk away from.

There is a difference between not owing someone an explanation and choosing to explain because the conversation matters. And maybe we need to make room. Because we cannot build deeper relationships, stronger communities, or a more understanding world if our only tools are silence, assumptions, defensiveness, and disengagement.

We need people willing to explain. And people willing to listen.

#education #mindset #community #relationships #adhd #autism #communication #disability #neurodivergence 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Never Gonna Say I'm Sorry by Ace of Base, https://t.lickd.co/l/7LJbjyqxJME