What “Um” Says About You

I've never been a slick or smooth person. I don't beat around the bush, and I use slang almost as much as the next person. "Um," is probably the one I use the most. Even in text messages. And because I use that word a lot, people know now what I've known for years...that I'm a thoughtful and caring person.

Yes, a new study out of Texas found that people who use verbal ticks like "um," "oh," "like," and "you know," are actually caring and thoughtful than the people who don't.

So, the next time you're having a conversation with your teenager, and they take forever to, you know, tell a story, because, like, um, it's amazing. You will now know, that somewhere in them, they're actually caring!