Good Convo Strategy

So as to advance my mission to help you live your life better, here is a little tip on how to be a good conversation buddy. When you have a nice one-on-one convo with a close friend, and he feels comfortable enough to share something more intimate with you, reaffirming his support and trust is of ultimate priority. So once your friend opens up, especially if first showing some hesitation, the best thing to do is to ease his worries and signal to him that he is talking to the right person. When he reveals something rather personal about himself, the most effective way to show him that you understand his viewpoint/thoughts is to say that you know many more people who have also expressed that same feeling to you. More comfortable now, your friend is likely to ask who else has said this. Now is the time to demonstrate that you are a trustworthy person who doesn't gossip. So in response, you should say that you cannot reveal the other people since they said it in secrecy, just as you would never repeat what your friend just told you. And bam! - you showed both that you understand where your friend is coming from and that he has no reason to be concerned about telling you these private thoughts.

For instance, the conversation would go as such:

Friend: "This might make me seem somewhat weird, but I really don't like to do X"
You: "Not at all! I know plenty of other people who also have told me that they don't like to do X"
Friend: "Oh really? Like who?"
You: "Well, unfortunately I can't tell you since they clearly trusted me enough to tell me - just like I won't repeat to anyone what you just told me"

Done and done!