p. 14 | The Girl Who Interrupts

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 12, 1912

The Girl Who Interrupts

TELL a girl it is bad form to interrupt, and she will say, “Who doesn’t know that?”

Unfortunately, knowledge and practise are not one, and girls are inclined to this habit whether they realize it or not.

Sometimes this habit is acquired in a home where all the family talk so much that none gets a chance as a soloist. Interruption becomes a matter of course in the home life. But strangers do not take to it so amiably, and the reputation of the family for good manners suffers.

Again: one is given to breaking in on conversation because she has been closely associated with a talker who would drone on indefinitely unless some one else forcibly takes the floor. The excuse is plausible, but one doesn’t excuse her when the habit follows her into other circles.

Nothing makes a young girl so unpopular as unwillingness to give another a fair show in talk. She may be a veritable chatterbox at other times, but she should have the art of holding her tongue when some one else is talking.

True, there is such a thing as listening to the point of stupidity. One young girl gave as an excuse for speaking but five times in the course of a dinner, that she thought people enjoyed a listener. The guests present would have thought more of her mentality if she had not been so perfect.

One need not rudely interrupt to be a curtailer of conversation. All that is needed is a wandering eye or an inane “Is that so?” thrown in pointlessly to cause the other half in the conversation to realize she might as well save her breath.

Another unconscious interrupter is the listener who sits with a stolid face while another is telling a good story or touching on some subject of the day. She is bored and hides it not, which does not increase the fluency of the talker.

Then there is the wholesale interrupter who switches a whole group of people from animated conversation by breaking in with some other subject, which may or may not be apropos. You may much prefer to go on with the old topics, but can not refuse to answer, and when you try to get back, all the interest is gone.

Of course you know better than to interrupt?—Perhaps; but it will not hurt to do a little watching.—Public Ledger.