> I'll think back to the conversation, realize I don't actually think or believe what I said I can absolutely relate to this, it was a very common occurrence f

> I'll think back to the conversation, realize I don't actually think or believe what I said I can absolutely relate to this, it was a very common occurrence for me when I felt pressured to speak. > Silence is one way to avoid making those mistakes, but that's me avoiding the problem, not actually solving it It doesn’t have to be avoidance, it’s not a binary of either speaking a lot or not at all. Silence (especially when the other person is comfortable with it too) gives the mind space to allow something that feels more honest and truthful to arise. The problem is that most people feel a kind of anxiety when nothing is being said, and if you’re sensitive you might subconsciously pick up on this (in yourself or the other) and then feel the need to say something to end the awkwardness. My meditation teacher had an interesting journalling technique: don‘t write a single line until you know that what you’re writing is absolutely true.