Well, that sucks. That’s the very first place to start. Sympathy is a healer, it coagulates the bleeding. Well, that sucks. It won’t drag them down if you validate their pain. It doesn’t mean you condone how they got into the pickle, or the fact that they may be bitching about the same chump after seven years, or that they done gone did it again — or any of that fairly useless judgement and assessing. Just nod, and say, 'Well, that sucks'. Do not immediately tell them that: • … [Read more...]