Why do I interrupt people I love?

The thought will vanish if you wait

You interrupt because you know it will be gone in ten seconds. Saying it now feels like the only way to keep it. It is urgency, not rudeness.

Listening takes double the effort

Following their words while your mind runs three other tracks is hard work. Drifting off mid-sentence is not boredom. The tank just ran low.

Oversharing fills the silence

A pause feels awkward, so you fill it. Then the story branches, and the branch has a branch. Ten minutes later you are not sure how you got here.

Then the replay at night

Lying in bed, rewinding every line. "Did I talk too much? Did I cut them off?" The conversation lasted an hour. The review lasts longer.

Hold the thought in your hand

Press a finger to your thumb, or type one word on your phone. A tiny anchor lets you wait your turn without losing what you wanted to say.

Ask a question back

When you notice you have been talking a while, turn it round. "What about you?" It hands the floor back, and people remember being asked.

Just name it

"Sorry, I cut you off, go on." Or "I lost you for a second, say that again?" Honest and quick. Most people are kinder about it than you are.