Shut up Someone With These Non-Verbal Cues
Some people love to hear them say so much that even words don’t give in. Well, part of the problem is that you are waiting for them to hand you the shell and they are not going to do it. However, you don’t need to interrupt them directly; you can just use your body language.
With the simplest maneuvers, you can easily send a message that you would like to interrupt with your thoughts. Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Captivate and founder of Science of People , shows her top five moves in the video above. Here they are:
- Fish : You open your mouth wide (like a fish) to show that you are ready to talk.
- Bookmark : You reach out to read what they say and add something. Pairs well with The Fish.
- Student : You raise your hand as if you are in a class. It also looks a bit like a universal stop sign.
- Touch : You lightly touch their shoulder or arm. This usually stops them and gives you a little opportunity to use them to your advantage. It could be adding something or just saying goodbye and walking away from the conversation. (“It was nice to chat with you!”)
- Teacher : You are holding your thumbs up like a teacher demanding silence in the classroom. It looks like a “shshh” gesture. This is the most aggressive move and should only be used when all else fails.
Start with The Fish and then work your way down until they get up. If the other person has any kind of social awareness, he must grasp at least one of them. Or you can try my favorite (and rather crude) tactic of asking them if their show has an intermission. If they don’t stop, they clearly don’t respect you or your time, and you should stop trying to talk to them. Find someone who wants to talk, not chatter that only looks for the audience.
How beautiful it is to interrupt someone and make them stop talking | Human Science