Changing This One Habit Can Make You More Likable

Everyone likes to be liked, but most of us tend to have at least one bad habit that may turn people off. More than any others, ditching this one habit in particular can make you more likable.

Think about this: You’re in the middle of explaining a story to someone when—bam!—he or she interrupts and turns the tide of the conversation. It’s hard to recover from an interruption. Interrupting is not only annoying, but it’s a conversation killer, and it’s one that can really turn people off.

As this article about the detriments of interrupting on Business Insider pointed out, there’s nothing new here. It’s the same advice Dale Carnegie of “How to Win Friends and Influence People” fame pointed out back in 1936:

Learning to wait and listen to someone and not interrupt can improve your conversations, your relationships and even your negotiating skills. Here are a few reasons why interrupting is something you need to cut out of your life ASAP:

1. Interrupting Makes You Seem Self-Centered

If you can’t wait until someone else is done with their thought, it will definitely seem you like see your ideas as superior to theirs.

2. It Ruins The Flow Of Conversation

Nothing stops the flow of ideas like the abrupt ending of someone’s sentence. Don’t break the rhythm of a good conversation by continuously switching it back to yourself.

3. It Makes People Defensive

Jumping in and either correcting someone or adding your two-cents might make them feel threatened. Because of this, they’ll naturally get defensive.

4. It Encourages Others To Interrupt You

If someone else feels like they can’t get a word in, they’ll cut you off to finish what they want to say.

5. It Limits Trust

Making someone feel threatened in conversation is only going to make them trust you less, so pause, and hold your thoughts until the other person is done speaking. And don’t forget to actually listen!

[h/t Business Insider]