11 Phrases Brilliant People Use When They Zoned Out & Didn't Hear What Someone Said
Brilliant minds bounce back smoothly when they miss a part of the conversation.
Max4e Photo / Shutterstock We’ve all been caught in a moment where we zoned out mid-conversation and completely lost our focus on what the other person was saying. It's an especially common occurrence in people whose minds wander or who have attention issues. The key factor in determining whether or not this happening causes problems with other people lies in how well they recover when asking the other person to repeat themselves.
Brilliant people know there are phrases they can use when they've zoned out and didn't hear what someone said that are direct and honest about their lack of attention. They politely or humorously try to save face so that they don't hurt the other person's feelings by making them think that they weren't paying attention due to a lack of interest.
Here are 11 phrases brilliant people use when they zoned out and didn't hear what someone said
1. 'Could you say that last part again?'
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Like everyone else, brilliant people's minds wander, and they occasionally zone out of a conversation. This is why, when they quickly need to recover, they will ask the other person to say the last part of their conversation again. It can be a masterful way of claiming that you didn't hear what they said properly.
You shouldn't feel bad about zoning out of a conversation with someone on occasion. People's minds wander around 46.9% of the time. It's how you handle it after getting caught that makes a difference. If you apologize or ask more questions, then the other person won't notice that you zoned out a little.
2. 'I got distracted, could you run that by me one more time?'
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Even the most brilliant minds zone out from time to time, but smart communicators own their mistakes with authenticity. Rather than pretending to hear what they have said, brilliant people admit that they were distracted by something else and weren't entirely listening to them. It shouldn't be taken as a slight, especially if there is a lot of commotion around the two of you.
People whose minds wander can become distracted by the simplest things, such as noise and visual distractions that surround them. Mind-wandering increases during sustained tasks. Even when doing multiple tasks, the slightest thing can take their attention away from you.
3. 'I want to make sure I heard you right'
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If you're unsure about what someone just said, you can make sure you heard them right by simply asking. When someone zones out during a conversation, it's easy to miss important details without meaning to. By acknowledging that you might have missed something without sounding rude or inattentive, they will be willing to repeat what they said.
This phrase helps with creating a respectful tone rather than a condescending one. You want to be sure that you heard what they said right, in case you have to relay the message to someone else. It's better to be accurate than to scramble trying to remember what they told you.
4. 'You lost me for a second'
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Sometimes, even the brightest minds find their attention drifting for a moment during conversations. Instead of pretending to follow along with their friend's story or text message thread, they stop and mention that they are completely lost in the conversation. By telling them that you are 'lost' in their story, it makes it easier for the two of you to recap what they said.
They're not critiquing you. They simply want to make sure that they're not confused. Brilliant people will admit that something you said may have been lost in the context, and they’re just trying to figure out your side of the story more accurately. Doing so means they really care about what you're saying and don't want to mess up the context of the conversation that they may have missed.
5. 'Can you clarify what you meant by that?'
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When someone zones out during a conversation, it can be tricky to jump back in without feeling awkward. Clarifying what someone said can be beneficial to you, as research has found that asking for clarification can enhance one's comprehension of the topic being discussed. This opens the dialogue up and allows them to elaborate on the subject further.
For brilliant people, this enhances the conversation. The more they ask questions, the more insight they will get, and the stronger the bond will be for the other person. By asking for clarification, they demonstrate active listening techniques, even if their mind really just wandered off for a bit.
6. 'Can you repeat the question?'
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There's nothing wrong with asking someone to repeat a question after you have been zoning out for a while, and they ask you something. Brilliant minds know it's better to ask for repetition than to respond without full comprehension. Using this phrase helps maintain your presence within the conversation or dialogue.
Children's minds wander all the time. In classrooms, mind-wandering correlates with poorer note-taking, weaker quiz scores, and even lower final grades. This is why it's important for teachers to allow the repetition of questions in the classroom. By doing so, they can better their students' attention spans and their grades.
7. 'Let me make sure I'm following this right'
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Following what someone is saying can be difficult if you zone out a bit during the conversation. Re-explaining what they said to the best of your abilities can go one of two ways. Either they correct what you said based on the little information that you do remember, or they get extremely angry that you don't remember anything that they just said.
The latter can be frustrating for them because they may have been talking to you for hours and have just found out that it's all for nothing. The best thing to do is to simply make sure that you have the gist of the information correct. This doesn't mean that you have to know everything. Just recite the little bits of information that you do remember so that you don't get it wrong.
8. 'Just to make sure we're on the same page'
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Asking whether the two of you are on the same page can be a great way to redirect the conversation if you've temporarily lost focus. It acts like a small reset to your conversation, allowing the two of you to reminisce about what was just said. You're not only making sure that you heard them right, but you're also making sure that both of you are in agreement.
In fast-paced conversations, this phrase comes in handy so that the dialogue slows down and a recap is required to catch up on what you may have missed. In work settings, this phrase works well when speaking to a colleague or a boss. In contrast, in relationships, it works well between couples who are actively trying to make important decisions together. Zoning out commonly occurs, so making sure that the two of you are on the same page when making a decision can help ensure transparency.
9. 'I missed the part when you said…'
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People often miss certain parts of a conversation when they're zoning out. For many, zoning out during cognitive or conversational tasks is extremely common. One moment you can be focused on one thing and have missed everything another person has said to you.
Instead of pretending to catch everything, brilliant people are upfront and say that they missed parts of what the person said. They wouldn't do this if they didn't care about what you had to say. In a job interview, it can become important for you to speak up when you've missed something that they said earlier, just for clarification on it. For them, it's better to be accurate than to make assumptions or respond inaccurately.
10. 'My brain had a moment, what was that again?'
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There are moments when nothing is around to distract you, yet you somehow manage to still miss what someone has said to you. Sometimes our brains simply turn off when trying to listen to other people. While zoning out is common there could be several other factors. Clinically, excessive zoning out is associated with conditions like ADHD, anxiety, PTSD, and dissociative disorders.
These moments of brief disconnect could be minor or a sign of something far worse. If you find your mood to be stable, then it simply could just mean that you went into a trance-like state and were snapped out the moment they saw your eyes linger. Either way, there is no shame in acknowledging that your brain isn't working at the moment, as humorous as it sounds.
11. 'Do you mind repeating that?'
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Asking someone politely if they mind repeating themselves is the nicest way to recover from a zone out. Nodding along without context can make you look foolish to everyone at the table, as they will assume you know nothing about the conversation. By asking them to state what they just said, you are demonstrating emotional intelligence, as it signals respect for the speaker and a genuine desire to understand them.
Brilliant people are capable of great things, but being able to rewind time isn't one of them. It’s better to be active and ask questions to others so that you don't zone out and miss something. Having a few graceful fallback phrases on hand can make all the difference.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author who has over a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.
