To smooth-talkers out there, who handle conversations with script-like suaveness and are quick with responses, it’s jarring watching “that kid” who can’t tell when no one wants to listen, or stumbles his or her way through a simple greeting. The natural response is to isolate that person, removing him from the pack, in definition, so the charming folk can perfect the art without interruption. Instead, people should show the same amount of friendship and generosity to the struggling person, looking past the awkward moments and seeing what he/she really has to say.

With a dwindling number of friends who care to listen, and rising feelings of doubt and depression, being ‘picked off’ due to stumbling speech can lead to reclusiveness and a quite thin and unhappy life. For the little amount of discomfort someone may have to deal with when talking to a conversationally awkward kid, the kid who now has someone he can talk to without being scared develops large amounts of self-confidence and happiness. Possibly he or she will develop their speaking skills and gain the smoothness of others when talking. All it takes is one or two people to break a spiral of negativity and doubt, and by lending a hand, help someone out tremendously.