Conversation Catch Quiz
Glove
You reach out and catch any ball, then send it back straight, in a few short words.
A game of catch needs someone catching just as much as someone throwing. A glove is the tool that wraps around fast balls and curving balls alike. You, too, are more often on the listening side, and the first thing you do is take in what the other person says.
Once you've caught it, you don't hold on to the ball for long — you send it back straight, in a few words. Because you return the point — “So you mean this?” “Then why not try this?” — the speaker knows right away whether what they wanted to say got through.
A leather glove molds to its owner's hand the more it's used. You, too, get better at catching people you've known a long time, as you learn their quirks of speech. On the other hand, you tend to throw a ball of your own only after the other person has finished throwing.
Strengths
- You can listen to the end and grasp the main point
- When a conversation drifts off, you can bring it back with “So what you mean is…?”
- Your replies are short and clear, which reassures the person who was talking
Where you may stumble
- You jump ahead and sum things up while the other person still wants to talk
- You answer a joking remark seriously, and the room goes still for a second
- After a long story, your short reply can leave people thinking, “That's it?”
Sounds familiar, Glove?
- You carefully switch between “Mm-hm” and “And then?” as you listen
- You can retell someone's story more briefly than they told it
- People say “Thanks for listening,” but you never got round to your own news
Where you shine
When someone needs to be heard, or when a conversation is scattered all over the place. Like catching a ball cleanly and returning it, when you listen, the other person's story tends to come together into one clear thread.
Tips for “Glove”
- When you've finished listening, try throwing back one story of your own
- When the ball comes as a joke, laugh first, then return it
- Before your one-line summary, add one “For example…”
Matches
See every match in the Conversation Catch Quiz compatibility chart →
Fastball — The Fastball throws you straight balls. All the Glove has to do is catch and return them straight, so you can talk without searching for hidden meanings.
Curveball — The Curveball keeps the conversation fun with bending throws. When the Glove catches them and hands back the point, even the Curveball's wandering stories land safely.
Soft Lob — The Soft Lob also prefers the catching side. You're both waiting for the other to throw — and when the ball does come back as a joke or a hint, the Glove, braced for a straight answer, tends to miss it.
Which one are you? 12 everyday situations, about 2 minutes.
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