Interruptions

Yesterday I posted about feelings and how people often act exclusively based on them, rather than using their reason.

Today I’m thinking about a related subject and that’s interruption during conversations.  I’ve noticed there are two main ways of communication.  Many people will alternate sentences while they are talking, and feel free to interject short ideas or comments while the other person is still making their point.  This is very common.  Some people take it a step further and will even start talking before the other person is done, finishing the other person’s statements or even drowning them out.

In some places, this is considered polite and even normal.

In other places, it’s more of a paragraph based style of communication.  One person makes a point, the other person waits till they are done and then responds, and it goes on like that.  I see this style in older science fiction and adventure novels all the time.

Not only that, but in every book on communication I’ve seen, the advice is always given to listen to the other person till they are done, and then begin to speak.  It’s also usually mentioned that the best way to listen is with an open mind, while not planning what to say in response.

With that being said, isn’t it amazing how a dear friend of mine, who was raised to believe that interrupting was extremely rude and a social sin, was told that she was actually evil (yes, you read that right, evil) for not wanting to be interrupted?  Yet, if she interrupted anyone she was verbally slapped down.

What this tells me is that people in general need to give up interruptions and double standards!