Conversation Glossary
Plain-language definitions for the ideas used across this site.
Active listening
Giving attention to meaning, reflecting what you understood and checking rather than assuming. See how the skill works in everyday active listening.
In practice
Active listening can sound like a short summary followed by “Did I get that right?” It does not require repeating every sentence or agreeing with every conclusion.
Boundary
A limit expressed through the action you will take, not a rule used to control another person's feelings or choices. The personal boundary questions guide turns the definition into an action you control.
Open-ended question
A question that allows more than a yes, no or single factual answer.
Repair
An action that acknowledges impact and helps restore respect after a rupture.
Reciprocity
A conversational balance in which curiosity, disclosure and influence can travel in both directions.
How the terms connect
Open questions invite detail, listening checks meaning, boundaries preserve choice, reciprocity keeps influence mutual and repair helps the relationship respond when one of those parts fails. Each term describes an action that can be observed and practiced, not a fixed personality type.