My Greatest Pet Peeve
“A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence.” — Pythagoras
I think just about anyone can identify with the feeling of being cut off before you’re finished talking, and also being the person who does so. Regardless of which conversational party you identify with most, the annoyance from this experience stems in the fact that it means it inevitably ends up taking twice as long to make a point that could have been done quite easily had your friend given you the opportunity to finish.
By interrupting the individual’s train of thought, we are stalling and diverting the natural progression of both expression and sharing. When I observe this happening it signals to me that the interruptor believes his/her ideas matter much more than the sense of understanding that was alive prior. The worst is when I observe young students my age doing this to special speakers or their elders. I’m sure it’s not intentional, but we’re conditioned to act this way. Everyone in the media interrupts each other, after all this is the essence of modern day political discourse.
But I think we need to recognize the inherent discourtesy that the practice of interrupting can evoke in a person. It is arrogant. It is silencing. And yet, it is very common. For these reasons, I think cutting people off in the middle of conversation is just about the rudest thing a person can do. Of course I understand the urge to release thoughts from your mind in order to quickly clear up some confusion, but I think most of the time this comes off as a bit erratic and off-putting.
True intelligence and wisdom, I think, is illustrated in individuals who listen thoughtfully to their peers’ thoughts, rather than feeling a pressure to speak whenever their mind throws itself into familiar territory. When we give people a chance to complete their sentences, we engender a space filled with understanding and authentic conversation, based on mutual respect. When I find myself in conversations like that I know how good I have it.
“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” — Rumi
