Let them finish the story

A friend describes an awkward first day. You had one just like it. Your memory is so vivid that you interrupt with the details before you hear what happened to them.

You can catch yourself without making the conversation about your mistake. “I jumped in. What happened after that?” Then give their version enough time to become its own story.

A practical detail or a feeling can open the next part: “Who did you end up sitting with?” or “What was that like for you?” Choose a question you actually want answered.

Your similar experience may still be useful later. First find out where the stories differ. Perhaps they loved the uncertainty you hated, or the hardest part happened after the moment you recognized.

When they have finished, try “Something similar happened to me—would you like to hear?” Your story still has a place. It simply does not need to take the other person’s place.