MOST people in my life have never said or mentioned it outright. They might ask me to repeat myself, but that could be any number of reasons. I don't need anybody's sympathy for it. And empathy "I feel your pain" is just a flatout lie. How can someone know my pain about stuttering if they don't stutter? Sure, there might be comparisons or parallels to something in their own life, but it's not the same thing. I want someone to just accept it as a part of me and never mention it. You can/should be patient by listening to me and waiting for me to stop speaking, but telling me "I know how you feel/I know your pain" isn't going to help me connect with you.