Well said. There is definitely a balance with talking. Obviously you don't want to dominate the conversation and you want to build a connection through relatable experiences. But, the key is forming a connection. As you pointed out, this isn't accomplished by dominating the conversation, being unfocused, low energy, or negative. By listening, adding your perspective, but not diminishing their point of view, and most importantly inquiring further about what they've said (when applicable) it allows to creat a deep meaningful conversation. Even if you're going for something more lighthearted, hitting these bare minimum exspectations, will still allow for a smoother verbal transaction.