Do you know someone who talks a lot and literally never stops? I’m talking about the type of person that when you visit, they talk non-stop, so when you decide that it’s time to leave, they don’t even pause or give you a break to tell them that you have to go… so you gather your stuff and lean to the edge of your couch as if getting ready to get up, hoping that they’ll notice and finally stop or give you the chance to say that you need to go, but they don’t! They keep on talking, and you end up staying another 20-30 minutes or so on the edge of that couch waiting for them to pause so that you can stand up and say goodbye. Yes… that’s the kind of person I’m talking about here. This scenario often happens to polite people who listen to the non-stop talker, and have a hard time interrupting them because they’re afraid to seem impolite. Worry no longer, there’s a simple effective trick to get yourself out of such scenarios… Here’s how to end a conversation with a person who talks a lot:
- Set a time constraint first thing when you interact with them.
Ex. “Hey.. I only have 10 minutes because I have an appointment at 6:00pm”.
If you weren’t able to set a time limit, don’t worry, because the below step still works without one. When the time comes for you to leave: - Interrupt them, talk over them if you have to, point to your watch or mention the time, and say that you have to go now.
Ex. “Sorry for interrupting you, I really have to go now… we’ll talk later” or “excuse me but I really have to go now… ” (this one also works over the phone), or “I’m late, I really need to go now”, then get up and leave.
Remember:
- Don’t be shy, it’s ok to be busy.
- The most important thing is communication… no need to be rude, and it’s not rude if you interrupt them as long as you apologize for it.
- Some manipulative people still act like they’re offended when you interrupt them, even if you apologize. It’s ok, it’s no big deal, they’ll get over it… don’t allow them to keep manipulating you into listening to their nonsense. You have your free will and your right to leave, and you deserve to be happy too.
What if the talkative person is visiting you?!
Well in that case… good luck!
Actually, there are 4 things you can do in such a case:
- Give them a time constraint as soon as they arrive, or on the phone beforehand.
Ex: “Sorry but I can only host you for 1 hour because I need to go somewhere at 8”. - When the time limit passes, remind them of it and tell them that you really have to go get ready now. Hopefully, they’ll get up and leave. If not, I guess there’s no solution but to straight up politely kick them out by escorting them to the door.
- Start appearing bored, sleepy, and uninterested, and hope that they’ll realize that you’re tired or they’ll get bored and leave.
- Hope for the best!
What if the talkative person is texting nonstop?
If the other person is texting non-stop, you can use the “brb” trick (say brb, disappear, then return later whenever you feel like it – if ever haha), or tell them, “hey sorry gtg now, something came up/we’ll continue later”, or just disappear and then later text them something like “hey sorry I had to go”. You’ll figure it out, and I’m sure they’ll find someone else to talk to, so they’ll be fine. Brb.
