Forums » Forum Games » Rephrase It

This is a game designed to make people feel "heard."

1. You make an observation about the world and someone else rephrases it by beginning the sentence with, "so what you're saying is..." and then adds their own statement to be rephrased.

2. Avoid giving advice (words like "should")...just rephrase exactly what they said, so that they feel heard.

3. If someone rephrases you wrong, you can explain in what way they misunderstood you and what you really meant, but everybody be nice. This is a communication exercise.

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For example:

I usually like pizza, but I've had too many pizzas lately and now the sight of one makes me sick.

So what you're saying is that you're tired of eating pizza.

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I'll start.


Watching the news just makes me sad or makes me mad, so I don't watch it. Instead, I get my news by skimming articles on the internet.

So what you're saying is...you don't like watching the news, you'd prefer to read it?

I adore dogs, but they tend to be a bit of a hassle when they're not potty trained. So I have birds.

So what you're saying is, you might like to cuddle up to a cute canine but you'd rather not step in poo stumbling to the bathroom at 1 AM, so you have birds, so you can have a little company and a little more control of the situation!

I don't eat meat. But it's not because I think eating meat is inherently wrong. Some animals eat us if given the chance. I think it's part of the circle of life. But eating flesh grosses me out. People often misunderstand what I mean when I say I'm a vegetarian.

So what you're saying is that you're a vegetarian because meat grosses you out, not because you think it's wrong.

I want to be more productive, but there's SO much other cool stuff to do. I struggle with the gratification of getting something done while also wanting to inhale other content, like YouTube and RPs.

So what you're saying is, you struggle finding the motivation to do some things, but not other things. ((Same!!!))

Rain is relaxing because it blankets the world in a calm blue hue, making everything easier on the eyes. The wind that carries the storm in is soothing, almost like a caress. Rain, if it's heavy enough, makes everyone stop what they're doing and pay attention the present moment, and just wait. Wait for the rain to stop. Be together. And there's something relaxing about that.

So what you're saying is, you like rain because it makes yourself and the world around you slow down and relax, to appreciate it and the people around them with all their senses.

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Man, I wish I was better art focusing on a single mental task. But the slightest sound other than maybe a gentle classical piece of music, can distract me, dividing my attention. I'm trying to write, but someone else has the TV on in the background, and earbuds to listen to music only help halfway. I'm trying to chat with someone in the real world, but something's popping up online too. I'm trying to take a test, but someone coughs or their phone rings or the sound of their eraser grating when they want to make a correction grates on my nerves. Sometimes I wonder if I have a mild form of ADD or something. Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet when you're trying to focus on a task that requires some thought? It's fine when I'm, say, washing the dishes, but when I'm trying to solve a puzzle, please don't talk to me unless it's to collaborate in finding a solution...

So what you're saying is you find it hard to concentrate when you're doing a task that requires intellectual thought, as opposed to muscle memory and automatic processes that your brain has automated, and you find that frustrating but have found a few coping mechanisms yet still long for a more thorough solution.


Roleplaying is very rewarding for me and I wonder why. Is it that I want to escape to another world? Is it because I can imagine my characters getting the things that I long for, and it gives me some kind of satisfaction or relief? Is it the friendships, the ease of doing something that doesn't require talking while still being social? Sometimes I wish I could get that kind of buzz off of things in real life.

(Yeah pretty much)

So what you're saying is, roleplaying gives you a thrill that real life doesn't, for all sorts of reasons--you wish you understood why, and that you could get the same kind of rewarding feeling from reality.

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There's just something viscerally real and satisfying from reading a good old, bound paper book. Feeling its' weight in your hands, hearing the crinkling of pages as you turn them, the smell you get in a large collection of them in the library. You can read it whether you have power or not wherever you are, as long as you have some light. It engages the mind and senses like no other form of media; even an e-reader, which makes a respectable substitute, doesn't compare, in my estimation.

So what you're saying is books are your key to happiness.
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I wish I could find something to compare to sunsets. They brighten up life, ya'know? A kiss there, a cuddle there. It's all you need. On a beach, it's better. Water distorting the reflection... vibrant colors... what more could I possibly want?

So what you're saying is, you love sunsets, which can be differently beautiful depending on location, especially when you can share them with a romantic partner.

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I love musicals because of the drama, the songs, the acting. Much better than a movie.

So what you're saying is, you prefer to see the acting, hear the songs, in person in a stage theater, than the several times removed it would be on DVD or TV or other forms of visual media, because it feels more real?

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Have you ever just broken out into song at a random place? I know I have--I can't help it, when I'm in a good mood, I burst into song wherever I am--in the shower, walking down the street, even hum at church or the library (though quietly, out of respect for the solemnity such locations ask of you, of course). I've always loved singing when I was little, even joined more than one choir when given the opportunity. Hymns, pop songs, Christmas carols, random little ditties, it doesn't matter, I'll try to sing them all. Music is a passion second only to reading, for me.