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This article seems so gentle to me. I’m surprised American culture is so tolerant of people interrupting. I am from a country where the culture is a lot more fo

This article seems so gentle to me. I’m surprised American culture is so tolerant of people interrupting. I am from a country where the culture is a lot more formal and here interrupting is seen as extremely impolite and by the second time you do it everyone will probably think you act like a child and treat you like one.

saghm 4y ago
I think part of the reason that's it common here is that it's also pretty common for people to just talk forever if they're not interrupted, which can also be impolite in certain situations. As chaotic as "anyone can talk as long as they want but anyone can also interrupt whenever they want" can be, it can also balance out sometimes in a way that ends up in a sort of equilibrium.
samvher 4y ago
I’m very curious which culture that is, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. I tend to take some liberties when it comes to interrupting but am aware that it’s not always appreciated. Still I often find it crucial in order to keep information flowing at high rates. I try not to over or under do it but find it a delicate balance and am not sure I always get it right.
coldtea 4y ago
For perspective, my country/culture is intolerant of people not interrupting - and not taking well to being interrupted themselves. They're are seen as precocious uptight snowflakes - and their protest at interruption (not as in "let me finish", but as in protesting the notion of interruption itself as if below them) is considered impolite and in bad form. At best it's seen like, let's say, eating a slice of pizza with fork and knife in New York. They are seen to want to monopolize the conversation, or make it not a real conversation (with interruptions, back and forth, and genuine exchange) but a series of monologues from each party. If we're discussing, we're not there to hear a diatribe in silence. We're there to engage in conversation.

saghm 4y ago

I think part of the reason that's it common here is that it's also pretty common for people to just talk forever if they're not interrupted, which can also be impolite in certain situations. As chaotic as "anyone can talk as long as they want but anyone can also interrupt whenever they want" can be, it can also balance out sometimes in a way that ends up in a sort of equilibrium.

samvher 4y ago

I’m very curious which culture that is, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. I tend to take some liberties when it comes to interrupting but am aware that it’s not always appreciated. Still I often find it crucial in order to keep information flowing at high rates. I try not to over or under do it but find it a delicate balance and am not sure I always get it right.

coldtea 4y ago

For perspective, my country/culture is intolerant of people not interrupting - and not taking well to being interrupted themselves. They're are seen as precocious uptight snowflakes - and their protest at interruption (not as in "let me finish", but as in protesting the notion of interruption itself as if below them) is considered impolite and in bad form. At best it's seen like, let's say, eating a slice of pizza with fork and knife in New York. They are seen to want to monopolize the conversation, or make it not a real conversation (with interruptions, back and forth, and genuine exchange) but a series of monologues from each party. If we're discussing, we're not there to hear a diatribe in silence. We're there to engage in conversation.