Benefits of restating someone else's position
Channel: Aaron Shafovaloff
Date: 2022-09-15

– Restating someone else's argument or position in your own words shows that you are listening.
– Translating it into your own words requires a basic understanding of what they said.
– Attempting to translate it into your own words can identify meaninglessness.
– Hearing their own position translated helps them understand their own position.
– It slows things down and reduces tension in a conversation.
– Your translation of their argument or position can strip it of its needless rhetorical flourish.
– Restating someone else's position can remove the need to refute it.
– It earns you credibility from which you can state your own position.
– It can help you identify common ground upon which to build.
– It dignifies and honors their words as meaningful.
– It dignifies the very act of communication.
– It combats cynicism that all such communication can be reduced to sophistry or stimulus or grandstanding.
– It honors another as a thinking soul.
– It fulfills neighbor love.
– It provides an opportunity to overlook or redirect poor communication.
– It may provide another with a better way to restate their own position elsewhere.

See also: https://aaronshaf.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/10-benefits-of-restating-someone-elses-argument-or-position-in-your-own-words/