We've been talking about and now we are talking about something that seems very different to me. Can you help me understand the connection? If there isn't a connection, I'd prefer to return to the topic we were discussing, would that be OK with you?

I'm confused because we were talking about , and now we're discussing . I would prefer to talk about .

I'm concerned that I may have said something to offend you and I'd like to check that out. Were you feeling put off or distanced or upset by my saying "."

I think I didn't express myself in the way I would have hoped, when I said "." What I really meant to say was "."

Oops! I think I goofed when I said "." I wish that I had said "."

I'm disappointed that I'm not getting what I had hoped for this experience. Perhaps we could go a little deeper. I was curious when you said , could you talk a little more about why you believe that?

I'm feeling as if we may be avoiding some of the more difficult questions. Would it be okay if I asked you about why you believe ?

I was expecting that we would have more differences. One question I was hoping you might ask me is: ?

I'm wondering if we are avoiding some deeper issues. I think we may differ on the question of and would like to know more about your thoughts on this?

I feel that our dialogue is stuck. Can we move on from this part of the topic to a new line of thought? Maybe we could talk about .

From your response, I'm wondering if you may have misunderstood what I meant to say. Let me try it a different way: .

From your response, I'm wondering if you think I meant . Actually, what I meant to say was :

When I said , what I was trying to explain was .

I don't think you understood what I meant when I said . I'd like to try again, would that be OK? What I meant was .

I didn't explain very clearly when I said . What I meant to say was .

I'm not sure I understand you. When you said , I heard: . Is that what you meant?

Could you try explaining that to me again, I'm not sure I quite got it.

When you used the word "" I understood that you meant "". Do I have it right?

The word/phrase "" usually means to me. Are you using it the same way, or were you intending something different by it?

Could you tell me what you meant by "?"

When you said , I felt because .

The way I read your post made me wonder if you believed that . Was that what you meant to communicate?

I'm upset/hurt/angry by your comment that . The reason I'm feeling this way is .

When you said , it felt to me like you were lumping me in with many other people whose views I may not share.

I'm wondering exactly what I said that led you to think that?

Am I correct in understanding that " is what you meant when you said ?

I don't understand why you believe . Could you please tell me what values, experiences, or concerns have led you to this belief?

When you used the term , I felt upset because .

Could we find a different word or phrase to use?

Would you be willing to consider using another term, such as ?

Ouch, when you said , I felt upset because .

I think that when you said , you made a generalization about my views. What I actually think is .

I think that you made an incorrect assumption when you said . What I actually believe is .

Actually, I don't believe that . I'm wondering what lead you to that conclusion?