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Good article, but I found this one line surprising: ..many nerds actually like being interrupted in mid-sentence when they're wrong.. I don't feel that way

Good article, but I found this one line surprising: ..many nerds actually like being interrupted in mid-sentence when they're wrong.. I don't feel that way (semi-nerd). Do you?

AndrewDucker 17y ago
I think that observation stems from this: http://www.fantasymaps.com/stuff/fanspeak.html http://www.fantasymaps.com/stuff/fanspeak.html
epochwolf 17y ago
I prefer to be interrupted if I've made an important error in an explication or my ideas are off base. (Or correcting my pronunciation)
- gizmo 17y ago
  ... provided you're allowed to continue your train of thought after the quick interruption/correction. Getting interrupted just because somebody wants to explore a different tangent can be very annoying.
  - rbanffy 17y ago
    I think the "when they are wrong" is the key. Exploring a different tangent is not being corrected.
ErrantX 17y ago
We have a guy in the office who is very low-social skilled and is definitely a nerd (of the D&D tabletop variety). He's a nice enough guy but if you speak before he is totally finished he will ignore you and continue. He also gets stressed by the interruptions. However he does interrupt others frequently in the same way and will just power on with what he wants to say. This makes having a 2-way discussion really hard. I suspect that from a nerds perspective it's fine to interrupt - and they forget they hate it (he says this is the case when I call him on it)
- billswift 17y ago
  I'm an Aspie, processing verbal information takes too much attention - if I wait until the other person is finished I will usually forget what I was going to say. And if interrupted I will usually be unable to continue. Normally, I just keep my mouth shut and don't say anything.
  - ErrantX 17y ago
    Is that common? I'd hate to think I was keeping him (and others silent). Is there anything I can do to help improve his interaction with me? It doesnt worry me too much (except making conversations long and sometimes tiring) but I have noticed visitors to the office getting "mad" about it. I hate mentioning it because that just rude... but sometimes you just have to to avoid them snapping and embarrassing him. He's quite embarrassed about it generally (even though there is no need to be with us - Im as crazy as they come) so I can't figure a good way to broach the subject with him. Even though I think it would be beneficial to discuss it and explain it's not a worry for us! Any tips/thoughts? (as it happens he's well qualified for the job and does well at it - a bit more forgetful than most, but no biggie. He came to use after 15 rejections since leaving uni a year before and could barely speak in the interview. In the end my boss said, basically, "how can we turn him away". It was pretty disgusting how he was treated elsewhere)
    - billswift 17y ago
      The specific problems Aspies have vary a lot. Most have some problems with speaking and especially speaking up. But from what I have read my specific problems seem to be even more focused in those areas than most Aspies. Any pressure, such as interviews, makes it worse, I have fewer difficulties now than I used to, but I am 48 years old and have learned a lot of stress control techniques. I still "meltdown" under much pressure (for example an unexpected interview).
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
Quarrelsome 17y ago
Why on earth would you want to potentially disseminate false information without interruption? If i'm wrong, I want to be corrected. If someone else has an opinion on something i'm talking about that is so important that they feel they have to interrupt then AWESOME. We have a discussion on our hands. :)
jsz0 17y ago
If I'm wrong or providing way too much redundant detail to someone who already knows the information then yes, absolutely. Why waste both of our time? The dynamics of every conversation are a bit different though. That's why it's hard to make set rules.

Good article, but I found this one line surprising: ..many nerds actually like being interrupted in mid-sentence when they're wrong.. I don't feel that way (semi-nerd). Do you?

AndrewDucker 17y ago

I think that observation stems from this: http://www.fantasymaps.com/stuff/fanspeak.html http://www.fantasymaps.com/stuff/fanspeak.html

epochwolf 17y ago

I prefer to be interrupted if I've made an important error in an explication or my ideas are off base. (Or correcting my pronunciation)

gizmo 17y ago
... provided you're allowed to continue your train of thought after the quick interruption/correction. Getting interrupted just because somebody wants to explore a different tangent can be very annoying.
- rbanffy 17y ago
  I think the "when they are wrong" is the key. Exploring a different tangent is not being corrected.

ErrantX 17y ago

We have a guy in the office who is very low-social skilled and is definitely a nerd (of the D&D tabletop variety). He's a nice enough guy but if you speak before he is totally finished he will ignore you and continue. He also gets stressed by the interruptions. However he does interrupt others frequently in the same way and will just power on with what he wants to say. This makes having a 2-way discussion really hard. I suspect that from a nerds perspective it's fine to interrupt - and they forget they hate it (he says this is the case when I call him on it)

billswift 17y ago
I'm an Aspie, processing verbal information takes too much attention - if I wait until the other person is finished I will usually forget what I was going to say. And if interrupted I will usually be unable to continue. Normally, I just keep my mouth shut and don't say anything.
- ErrantX 17y ago
  Is that common? I'd hate to think I was keeping him (and others silent). Is there anything I can do to help improve his interaction with me? It doesnt worry me too much (except making conversations long and sometimes tiring) but I have noticed visitors to the office getting "mad" about it. I hate mentioning it because that just rude... but sometimes you just have to to avoid them snapping and embarrassing him. He's quite embarrassed about it generally (even though there is no need to be with us - Im as crazy as they come) so I can't figure a good way to broach the subject with him. Even though I think it would be beneficial to discuss it and explain it's not a worry for us! Any tips/thoughts? (as it happens he's well qualified for the job and does well at it - a bit more forgetful than most, but no biggie. He came to use after 15 rejections since leaving uni a year before and could barely speak in the interview. In the end my boss said, basically, "how can we turn him away". It was pretty disgusting how he was treated elsewhere)
  - billswift 17y ago
    The specific problems Aspies have vary a lot. Most have some problems with speaking and especially speaking up. But from what I have read my specific problems seem to be even more focused in those areas than most Aspies. Any pressure, such as interviews, makes it worse, I have fewer difficulties now than I used to, but I am 48 years old and have learned a lot of stress control techniques. I still "meltdown" under much pressure (for example an unexpected interview).

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

Quarrelsome 17y ago

Why on earth would you want to potentially disseminate false information without interruption? If i'm wrong, I want to be corrected. If someone else has an opinion on something i'm talking about that is so important that they feel they have to interrupt then AWESOME. We have a discussion on our hands. :)

jsz0 17y ago

If I'm wrong or providing way too much redundant detail to someone who already knows the information then yes, absolutely. Why waste both of our time? The dynamics of every conversation are a bit different though. That's why it's hard to make set rules.