31 Empathetic Statements for When You Don’t Know What to Say
Do you struggle to find the right words when someone shares something difficult? This list will help you show that you care.
When something terrible happens to a friend or loved one, it can be difficult to know what to say.
That’s why we often reach for one of these common responses:
“Everything happens for a reason.”
“This too shall pass.”
“Just look on the bright side…”
“God has a plan.”
“I know how you feel.”
“He’s in a better place now.”
“This could be a blessing in disguise.”
“Something better is around the corner.”
Although these statements sound good in theory, they rarely do much to help the other person feel better. Instead, it often minimizes the other person’s pain and does little to connect with how he or she is feeling.
I don’t believe we do this intentionally. We use these statements because they have been said to us in similar situations. We’ve become conditioned to believe that these cliché responses are the best things to say when someone is hurting — even if they…
