"There’s nothing more to say, really, about a situation that both of us know isn’t likely to change. Nor does Elise actually need it to. **It’s all a game of sorts, whereby Elise expresses her concern about me and, having aired this thought, is free to move on. It’s been my experience that a lot of human interaction comes down to just these sorts of exchanges**, less an actual conversation than a form of parallel confession—the two parties performing their interior monologues, not really listening to each other but merely taking turns." --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[relationships]], [[crucial-conversations]], [[listening]], [[listening-with-four-ears]] **Source** -- [[20250424020018 - B - The Ferryman]]