People that ignore, interrupt or talk over you during conversation

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I am encountering this more and more and find it one of my new pet peeves. I can hardly start a conversation when the other person turns away and starts talking with someone else, seems to zone out, interrupts with something totally irrelevant to the topic of conversation, or just starts talking like I wasn't already saying something. Anyone else have this problem? What should I do when it happens?
 

I listen more than talk anyway so this usually isn't much of a problem, but I find since the virus, people seem lonelier and more eager to talk. Maybe so much isolation has diminished their communication skills?

Or you could always say politely, "I'm speaking."
 
Murrmurr said:
I've come to the conclusion that people disregard or ignore what we say because we're old. That seems so strange to me because we're experienced, we have a lot to offer in the way of advice and such, so it should be just the opposite.
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I agree that is often a part of it but I think it has more to do with the fact that retired people have unlimited time and younger people are always in a hurry, running late, etc...

These Progressive commercials about Parentology kind of sum it up for me.

 
Aunt Bea said:
I agree that is often a part of it but I think it has more to do with the fact that retired people have unlimited time and younger people are always in a hurry, running late, etc...

These Progressive commercials about Parentology kind of sum it up for me.

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My take-away from that commercial is that young people's heads are saying "Ok, buddy, if I wanna listen to my parents I'll go to their house."
:p
 
I have noticed it lately too when talking on the phone to friends and I'm not sure if people have become very anxious lately. I do have one friend, though, who has been interrupting me, changing the topic and rambling on about other things while I'm trying to talk and he's been doing it forever it seems. Once I told him that he interrupted me but said it nicely. He still does it so I have shortened our conversations. I have also said to people "I'm speaking now" politely.
 
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Deb I'm noticing it too as I age. I guess we're just stupid old people with no value now. *Shrugs* I basically quit talking to people and now those people try to engage me in conversation I say things like "that's nice" and walk away. If they don't wanna listen to what I have to say then I got nothin to say.
 
I was flying with a F/O that I had never flown with before. He was one of those people. He would actually talk while I was giving him instructions. We were flying non stop from the East coast to the West coast, so we had about four hours of quiet time, where we get to observe the instruments, listen to the chatter on the radio, really just making sure everything is the way it’s supposed to be.

During this time, the F/O started asking me questions about flying. Fair enough. However, as soon as I would start talking, he would too. Drove me nuts to the point where I finally had to tell him, “Do you want to hear what I have to say, or do you want me to listen to you?”

He was very obnoxious and with him being a new pilot, I was able to evaluate him. On the form is a section asking for my overall assessment of this pilot. I gave him a good number because his flying ability was good for his time in the cockpit. There was also a section asking to grade him on “Social Skills” (with the crew). I had to be truthful. He didn’t fare well. He is still flying today. I hope he figured it out.
 
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I literally told a co-worker once who was going on and on about something "can you get to the punch line" Not nice I know but she didn't seem offended.

If someone is doing this to you, I'd find a way out of the conversation some how. "ok, got to go" "that's nice, see you later" Something.
 
debodun said:
I can hardly start a conversation when the other person turns away and starts talking with someone else, seems to zone out, interrupts with something totally irrelevant to the topic of conversation, or just starts talking like I wasn't already saying something.
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Ever think it might be you?

Could be the topic?

debodun said:
I am encountering this more and more
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We geezers tend to repeat ourselves
Do any of them hold up their fingers?
Like three fingers represent the amount of times you already told 'em

debodun said:
I am encountering this more and more
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We geezers tend to repeat ourselves.....selves......selves.....yawn



People that ignore​


Funny, I think deb has me on ignore

happy.jpg
 
debodun said:
I am encountering this more and more and find it one of my new pet peeves. I can hardly start a conversation when the other person turns away and starts talking with someone else, seems to zone out, interrupts with something totally irrelevant to the topic of conversation, or just starts talking like I wasn't already saying something. Anyone else have this problem? What should I do when it happens?
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I don't have any advice for others regarding, but speaking for myself, I cut the conversation short and move on.
 
Gary O' said:
Ever think it might be you?

Could be the topic?



We geezers tend to repeat ourselves
Do any of them hold up their fingers?
Like three fingers represent the amount of times you already told 'em



We geezers tend to repeat ourselves.....selves......selves.....yawn



People that ignore​


Funny, I think deb has me on ignore

View attachment 136256
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This is where my mind went, too. I've been known to say, "Annnyway" and change the subject when habitual complainers start their whining, or I'll say, "Oh yes, I remember you telling me that story a few times" when their needle is stuck in an old groove.

Drives me crazy when people chatter on about people I don't know and don't care about, and the story itself has no relevance to anything we were discussing. I'm not talking about someone saying, "Oh my gosh, my brother just had a heart attack and I'm so worried about him"

More like, "So my brother who lives three states away put up a fence in his back yard but my sister-in-law really hated it, and I don't think he even got a permit for it, and his next door neighbor was really pissed about it, and then the wind blew it down but he doesn't think it was his fault so he might consider suing Home Depot because that's where he bought the wood, but he got the screws at Lowes and I think he hired dayworkers to construct it....."

By that time I'm desperately devising an exit strategy.

Don't get me started on people who start describing their dreams.

If it ain't relevant to the topic it probably ain't interesting and you're going to lose your audience.
 
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I was listening to newstalk radio the other day and a caller came on and the discussion was opposing views between the host and the caller. Of coarse it was radio and people's voices can fool you but this caller, who was male, sounded relatively young. I could be wrong. But he kept saying "my point is..." yet never stated or got to his point. It was ridiculous to be almost funny. I also know this host is not young himself but he had a good grip on the conversation. It ended without going anywhere.
 
Gary O' said:
Could be the topic?
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Many years ago, I got fed up with a guy at work that would walk away while I was talking to him. One day I finally pointed out that he walked away while I was still speaking to him. His only response was, "I was through listening."

Years after we had this soccer mom in the lab. She'd come in and almost every morning start talking about her son and all his accomplishments. We both started early so there were no other people about. After about a half an hour she'd finally wind down. When I started to talk, she'd say "Well, I have to get to work." and run over into her section. She only wanted to talk about her son and wasn't the least interested in what I had to say.
 
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debodun said:
Many years ago, I got fed up with a guy at work that would walk away while I was talking to him. One day I finally pointed out that he walked away while I was still speaking to him. His only response was, "I was through listening."

Years after we had this soccer mom in the lab. She'd come in and almost every morning start talking about her son and all his accomplishments. We both started early so there were no other people about. After about a half an hour she'd finally wind down. When I strated to talk, she'd say "Well, I have to get to work." and run over into her section. She only wanted to talk about her son and wasn't the least interested in what I had to say.
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My sister tends to be that way she will ask me a question and move on to talk about her children and grandchildren before I can formulate a response to her question. It used to bother me but now I just listen and laugh to myself.

I think this topic tends to touch a nerve with older folks like us that live alone.
 
debodun said:
Many years ago, I got fed up with a guy at work that would walk away while I was talking to him. One day I finally pointed out that he walked away while I was still speaking to him. His only response was, "I was through listening."
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I'm sure this wasn't meant to be funny....but

Oh, and poignant...yes...that's the word.....poignant
debodun said:
I am encountering this more and more. I can hardly start a conversation when the other person seems to zone out,...turns away
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Liberty said:
What I notice is people that seem to interrupt because they "think they know what you are going to say" when you are halfway through a sentence. Its like they are so impatient they want to finish "your" thought for you!
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Bingo!

And people see that my body has not aged well so assume my brain doesn't work well either.

Also, some of it is a cultural thing.
 

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