Question

What would nonjudgmental listening be so valuable? Why is it that we can sometimes share things with people we don’t know but find it difficult being open with friends and family?

Answer 1

We might fear rejection from the people closest to us. If you were talking to a stranger, for instance, you wouldn’t care too much if they judged you, because you wouldn’t be losing anything. Talking to the people closest to us can bring up the fear of rejection because if they hear something they don’t like, they might leave, or they might talk to you, or look at you differently, and it could trigger a paranoia, psychologically making you uncomfortable to be around them and therefore, you lose a relationship.