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What Men Say When They Won’t Stop Talking
Interrupting and talking over others is not just boorish and rude. It’s a means of dis-empowering and silencing.
What we witnessed during the vice-presidential debate was a man repeatedly talking over a woman. He would not let her speak. He imposed his words, his presence, over hers.
He was trying to silence and erase her voice, and in doing so, make her presence both mute and moot.
We saw similar behavior at the presidential debate. One man continually would not stop talking and interrupting, trying to drown out the other person’s voice, imposing his presence at all times.
Across social media there was a groan of frustration and recognition from women who have experienced this behavior before, especially, but not only, in the workplace.
It’s exhausting, insulting and offensive. It’s also a signal.
It’s Not Just About Manners
It’s obviously rude to talk when someone is speaking. It’s obviously impolite to not wait your turn to speak, to not let someone finish, to not listen to what the other person is saying
This is basic human interaction we’re talking about here.
Something we teach children as soon as they begin speaking. It’s essentially the most…
