Be wary of anyone who tells you your ideas are meaningless, and never ever let this idea of theirs eclipse the importance of your own ideas to yourself. Nevertheless, don’t set yourself up to get this sort of feedback by following your idea with, “If that makes any sense,” or “Does that make sense?”
It’s normal for new ideas to take time to weave into the mind of someone else. Give both your listener and yourself time to assimilate what you have said. Let your new idea exist in the air between you while you silently reflect on whether the way in which you presented it made the best sense to you. Should you become aware that you could present the idea more succinctly, then clarify your statements so that your words more closely approximate the idea your mind has formed.
The collaboration of minds is much better served by soliciting the other person’s unique thought as opposed to inviting a critique of yours. This is easily done in this way. Speak your idea, then immediately either shut your eyes or turn your head and look off into the far distance. Take a deep breath to signal your active, internal review of your own thoughts. After a moment, open your eyes or look back to your listener and ask, “What ideas do you have about _______ (the subject, NOT your idea)?” If the person begins to evaluate or parse your thought, say, “Oh please, do tell me your own ideas about ______ (the subject).”
Be mindful of any desire within yourself to rephrase your thoughts in order to gain the acceptance and approval of your listener. More often than not, that desire is actually an unexamined intention to manipulate the person into agreeing with you. If you follow the compulsion to change what you truly think in order to gain that agreement, you have lost yourself, again. And, in the dark of night, it will be your own mind that you question when the agreed upon idea makes little sense to you.