For non-stutterers reading this: Yes, we know we’re being quiet. Yes, we know we can chime in any time. We know it’s OK if we stutter. We know that it can make you feel awkward. It’s also 100% possible that we’re perfectly content to just listen for a bit. The thing about having a stutter is that it makes speaking take a lot more brain power than, for example, someone like my MIL who has the gift of gab and can’t NOT talk. Imagine you were going out to a bar with some friends, and drinks cost $5 each. You have $20 to spend, but all your friends have $100, so they’re just buying drinks left and right. You don’t drink that much to begin with, so you’re a bit of a lightweight but you’re perfectly content hanging out with them nursing your four drinks while they get shit hammered. How would you feel if someone suddenly drew attention to the fact that you were only on your third drink, and made it seem like that meant you weren’t enjoying your time with them? Chances are, you’d feel uncomfortable, self-conscious, and maybe even a little resentful for the person putting you on the spot and making you justify your choices and the reasons for them? Having a stutter in a social situation is kind of like that, but with brain power. The best thing for a non-stutterer to do in this situation isn’t to point out what you already know, it’s to treat them like normal, and offer to buy them a drink if you want them to feel comfortable. In stuttering world, that translates to asking a question to bring them into the conversation, *not make **them** the conversation.*