8 Ways to Respond When Someone Interrupts You
Interruptions are one of the most egregious communication violations—but not all stem from the same place. It’s possible someone’s cutting in because they’re neurodivergent, for example, and “have a difficult time focusing without speaking,” says Jefferson Fisher, a Texas-based lawyer and author of The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More. In that case? Let them get their words out; they don’t mean any offense.
Other times, your conversation partner will clearly be making the intentional choice to talk over you. “What they’re saying is, ‘What I have to say is more important than what you have to say,’” Fisher points out. “In some sense, they’ve stomped on your self-esteem. They’ve put themselves above you.”
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What should you do about it? We asked experts exactly what to say when someone interrupts you.
Just keep talking.
The first time someone talks over you, continue speaking as though you haven’t been interrupted. “If you take a pause, you allo..