THE WAY SOMEONE CHANGES THE TOPIC WHEN YOU GET TOO CLOSE TO THE TRUTH

Conversations have rhythms, but sometimes they suddenly skip a beat. You’re speaking, slowly uncovering something real—something raw—and just as you near the heart of it, the other person shifts gears. They ask about the weather, mention a news story, or laugh nervously. The topic changes. The moment dissolves.

This subtle dance is as old as human interaction itself. Changing the subject when the truth feels too vulnerable is a defense mechanism, not a dismissal. It’s a way to protect oneself from discomfort, fear, or the risk of being seen too fully.

For the listener, it can feel like hitting a wall. You know there’s something more beneath the surface, but the other person is not ready to go there. The silence that follows the topic change often says more than words ever could: Not now. Not yet.

Yet, this avoidance is also a quiet plea—for patience, for trust, for the right time and place to unfold the truth safely. Respecting that boundary doesn’t mean giving up; it means listening differently.

So next time the conversation takes an unexpected detour, try to hear what’s left unsaid. Sometimes, the real story waits patiently in the silence that follows.