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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to ask you how you deal with interrupters?

56 replies

ChampionThreadKiller · 25/04/2019 15:03

Just that really, people who don’t let you finish your sentence or answer you before you’ve finished your question (often anticipating a different question) Hmm.

OP posts:
TheTitOfTheIceberg · 25/04/2019 16:35

I'm an interrupter when chatting generally but usually these days I catch myself, apologise for interrupting and let the other person finish.

Weirdly I tend not to interrupt at work - it's definitely a 'fully invested in this conversation and eager to keep it going, I like this' thing with me too just like one of the PPs above. At work, if I get interrupted I say "sorry, can I just finish or I'll lose my train of thought".

FrangipaniBlue · 25/04/2019 16:39

I stop mid sentence and wait, usually the sudden silence is enough to also stop them in their tracks, then I wait, que awkward silence and then I continue.

After a few times they generally get the message.

If they don't stop or have done it to me a few times I will outright say, excuse me - I hadn't finished speaking.

ScrambledToe · 25/04/2019 16:41

There are 2 types of people in conversations. Those who listen and those who wait to talk.

AryaStarkWolf · 25/04/2019 16:42

@Chouetted ok, it's a disability my apologies, next time someone interrupts me I''ll just tell them I'm sorry for their troubles Hmm

AryaStarkWolf · 25/04/2019 16:43

Those who listen and those who wait to talk

Truth.

Shodan · 25/04/2019 16:51

I think there are different kinds of interrupting.

One is where someone is genuinely listening to you and wants to engage, so might jump in with a comment. In those cases, just carry on with what you are saying after a brief pause.

Another is where they have been listening, but don't want to engage- they just want to say what's on their mind. They are less interested in your point and think theirs is more interesting. These ones you can ask them to wait until you've finished speaking and depending on your relationship with them, say that you want to hear what they have to say.

Then there's the one where they're not listening to you at all, have no interest in what you have to say and just start talking. These are the rudest and you should go all out- either talk increasingly loudly, or stop abruptly and say something, or wait until they've finished and apologise for talking while they were interrupting. Eye rolls are optional.

Conversation is an art, and the best conversationalists work at it. You shouldn't start a monologue, you should observe the social and conversational cues, and you should properly listen to what's being said to you before responding appropriately. If you are a persistent interrupter it's likely you haven't been properly listening, or haven't been taught how conversation works.

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