The Interrupter

How they operate

They want their view to be the loudest one in the room and the last thing anyone hears. They cut in before your sentence lands, finish your thought for you, and restate your point in their own words, slightly wrong. It works because most people are polite. You stop, let them talk, and wait for a turn that never comes. Or you raise your voice to match, and now you both look rude. Either way, your point never gets said in full, and theirs becomes the version everyone remembers.

What it sounds like

• Right, right, but here's the thing.
• Hold on, hold on, you're missing the point.
• Actually, what you mean is this.

What works

They fear a calm refusal to give up the floor, one that shows their rudeness without making you look defensive. When they cut in, do not stop and do not get louder. Keep your tone even and finish your sentence, or say plainly that you would like to finish, and then do it. Promise to hear them afterward, and keep that promise, because it shows you are fair, not stubborn. Expect them to try again on the next turn. Repeat the same calm move each time, with the same words if you like.

You sayLet me finish this point, then I want to hear yours. The deadline only moves if we drop the second feature.

What backfires

Raising your voice to match theirs turns it into a shouting contest, and they are better at it. Going quiet and waiting tells them interrupting works. Complaining at length about the interrupting, with an edge in your voice, makes you look defensive and gives them a new topic to talk over. Long, winding sentences give them more places to cut in.