Your Experience Matters — No Matter Who You Are
Listen and define the difference between validation and dismissal
PSYCHOLOGY | EMPATHY | RELATIONSHIPS
Your Experience Matters No Matter Who You Are
Are you listening to validate the speaker or dismissing their words as unimportant? No matter who you are, your experience matters. That’s why reflective listening is a skill to practice. Validate means to “check or prove the validity or accuracy of (something); demonstrate or support the truth or value of.”
In contrast, dismissive words tend to devalue the person. That invalidation includes examples like, “Oh, that didn’t hurt” when you know it did, or telling yourself, “Just get over it,” when you know you need to empathize.
You can watch and reflect on your own self-talk by writing it down.
Reflections and Review
Make a difference and write it down — out of your head and onto paper
