It seems more and more people aren’t letting others finish their thoughts—or even their sentences—when talking to one another. Everyone wants to say their part right away. Talking over each other has become the new norm.
It’s as if people assume they know what someone else is going to say, or they try to guess the end of the sentence before it’s spoken. By the end of the conversation, they may grasp the gist of what was said, but key details are often missed. The full picture gets lost.
The art of conversation—where the purpose is to learn from one another—is slowly disappearing.
You really notice this when you’re listening to two people who keep interrupting each other. It’s exhausting. As a fly on the wall, you crave the completion of each sentence or thought. You try hard to follow along, but it takes effort, especially when the conversation jumps rapidly between topics.
Now imagine being one of the people in that conversation. How can anyone truly follow what’s being said when they’re too focused on what they want to say next? They’re missing half the conversation.
People are so eager to speak that they don’t process what the other person is saying. Their minds fixate on their next response, leaving little attention left to actually listen. As a result, everything the other person is saying becomes distorted.
It’s even worse on virtual calls, where body language is hidden. You start to speak, only to realize the other person hasn’t finished. The exchange turns into a see-saw: talk, stop, talk, stop. These virtual settings are still new to many of us, and we’re still learning how to navigate them.
There’s plenty of room to improve our conversation habits. A simple step? Pause for three seconds before responding. This gives space for the other person to finish their thought—and gives you a chance to fully absorb it.
Yes, the silence might feel uncomfortable. But we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. People often keep talking not because they have more to say, but because they’re unsure if they’ve been understood.
And if someone hasn’t spoken yet, they often fill the silence with empty phrases like, “Yes, that’s what I was thinking too,” or “That’s how I see it as well.” These are filler statements—ways to break the silence.
Instead, be okay with silence. Take a moment to think before you respond. We don’t need to have an answer right away.
Saying “Let me get back to you” or “I don’t know” are perfectly acceptable responses.
We’ll be better off when we start to think and respond—rather than respond and regret.
Take care.