4 Reasons why you shouldn't Interrupt
Have you ever had a conversation with someone when you were duly interrupted?
How did that make you feel?
At the receiving end, I guess it makes you feel lousy ya.
There is a major lesson to take away from this: Never interrupt a person when they are talking.
Besides the lousy feeling you impart to a person, there are four more reasons you should never interrupt a person.
#1 Not respecting the other party
When you interrupt a person, you are essentially discounting whatever the person wants to share. You are unwittingly saying whatever I have to say is more important than what you have to share. You deny them a voice.
Interrupting a person while they are speaking is rude and just plain bad manners.
It's important to show respect and empathy by allowing someone to express themselves fully without interrupting. By exercising control and actively listening, you can make a person feel heard and valued. It's a simple yet powerful way to build stronger connections and foster better communication. Moreover, they won't speak indefinitely, so your chance to speak will come soon enough. Once they have to say whatever they want, it is your turn.
This approach ensures that everyone has an equal chance to express their thoughts and feelings, leading to an overall improvement in everyone's well-being.
#2 Lose the train of thought
When our minds process information, we do it singularly—one thought at a time. When our thought process is interrupted and hijacked by other thoughts, our focus is shifted.
When we are interrupted in a conversation, our brain switches from a speaking mode to a listening mode. We try to focus on what the other party is trying to say, relegating what we want to share to the back of our minds. As our memory is not perfect, we sometimes have trouble recalling what we wanted to say. This worsens as we age when our mental ability to change topics also deteriorates.
So don't interrupt a person, especially the elderly.
#3 Lose valuable inputs
When someone is trying to tell you something, they are typically sharing new information—information you may not know just yet. This information may potentially be useful to you.
Interrupting someone while they're speaking can make them forget what they want to say. Then, you will not be wiser about what they want to share with you. You would have lost that piece of valuable information.
So why not let them share what's on their mind and increase your knowledge?
After all, you know what you already know.
#4 Lose a friend
If you persist in making interrupting a conversation a habit, people who communicate with you might start to steer away from you, leading to a loss of friendship.
Everyone has a fundamental right to share and express themselves.
Repeatedly denying someone this basic right will make them question the authenticity of your conversation. This can damage the relationship over time. Thus, it is important to acknowledge and respect the other person's right to be heard in any conversation.
If you continue to habitually interrupt others, they will ultimately avoid conversations with you and seek out more receptive listeners.
Interrupting someone while they are speaking is not only disruptive, but it can also have negative consequences for you in the future. It is important to allow others the opportunity to fully express their thoughts and ideas before interjecting.
It is best to practice active listening and wait for an appropriate moment to contribute to the conversation.
It is time to change the habit if you have the habit of interrupting others.
Exceptions
As with every rule, there are exceptions.
An exception to interrupting a conversation is when an urgent matter or something dangerous is about to happen. During these moments, you can dispense with formalities as more pressing matters are at stake.
A word of caution here is not to abuse these 'exceptions" or in time, you will be labeled as the "boy who cried wolf".
Drop us a comment if you agree or disagree with our view on interruptions; we would love to hear from you