I try and confirm other people as much as I can. I do this through recognition, acknowledgement, and endorsement. I think it's possible to endorse most of what people say without putting your own feelings into the situation. Unless the person is telling you that they enjoy hurting people, I think it's better to give a person the benefit of the doubt, even if, we don't agree with what they are saying.
I remember one of my co-workers telling me about a game and how their team lost. I had to endorse what she told me because she was the one talking at that time so I had to give her that attention. I actually was rooting for the other team, but that seemed like an inappropriate time to bring that up. Sometimes you have to know how to resppond to what a person is saying. Disconfirming someone only makes a person think that you think you are more important than them.
By confirming what she said I wasn't accepting that as my belief. I was simply allowing her to tell me her point of view. By doing this I confirmed her by endorsing what she told me without having to bring my thoughts into the conversation. I think friends should allow other friends to speak their beliefs without having to feel condemned for their feelings.
I also believe confirming people is an important key to communication. However, I find it difficult to endorse what people say. I find myself listening with my ears wide open when people are discussing issues, but when it comes to endorsing their thoughts I cannot do it. I've identified this as an obstacle in my communication. I think you did a good job confirming and endorsing your co-worker's feelings about that particular sporting event. However, I don't agree that to endorse you need to completely remove your own thoughts and feelings from the conversation. I believe that you can share them with the other person and endorse their feelings as well.
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