Communication is important, and it’s true. However, annoying conversation habits can be worse than no communication at all. Don’t make people angry.
While we’re here to preach the importance of communicating with each other, we should take the time to teach annoying conversation habits as well. Sometimes saying nothing is better than telling lies or having a whole conversation about yourself, right?
Unlike communication itself, conversational habits are the way we try to communicate. While some of these habits are healthy, others are not. Toxic habits used in conversation can push people away from you. Let us learn about these malicious habits.
Annoying conversational habits that should be avoided
There are many annoying things you can do during a conversation. This is because many of us have a lot to talk about, which means we don’t always listen to the other person – in fact, we rarely do.
So, instead of pointing fingers at other annoying speakers, let’s take a look at what we do while communicating. Here are some habits to break.
- Looking at your phone
Have you noticed that it is normal for everyone to use their smartphones no matter what they do? They browse, they eat, they surf, they walk, and unfortunately, they scroll and drive, too. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are always doing something, even while having a conversation with someone face to face.
This has become a very annoying conversation habit, and it is killing our personal connection with each other. Put your phone down for a while and just listen.
- Talk to each other
Interrupting someone when they are talking is bad, but constantly interrupting someone every time they try to speak is disgusting. But that’s okay, I’m not going to hit you over the head without hitting myself a few times too. We all do this. Why?
Because the world has become so full of information and so devoid of respect that we tend to believe that what we know is most important. Instead of really paying attention to what someone else is saying, we actually put our next sentences together and take over. Stop!
- Trying to “outdo”
What this means is that when you’re talking to someone, you’re constantly trying to say something more interesting than what they’ve said before. For example, if your friend said he got a promotion, then you said:
“Oh really, I started my own business and created a website, so I’m with you!”
But you don’t really think that you’re “there with them,” or that you’re trying to make them better, or that you’re saying something that will steal the conversation and put the spotlight on you. This is very annoying, and it is embarrassing for others to watch you do this.
- Drop those names
So, you know someone famous, right? Well, that’s nice. But honestly, mentioning the names of celebrities in your life during a conversation is one of the most annoying and anxiety-inducing things you can do. I personally know some famous people, and the truth is that most people do!
So, that rare thing you think you’ve got isn’t rare at all, and flaunting it makes you look bad. Step back, then keep your name in your name. Humility would be a much nicer thing to practice.
- Use words to impress
If you know big words, that’s good. This means that you either read a lot, have a high level of intelligence, or simply train yourself to learn big words for conversations. Well, could this be the last one that pushed a friend away?
If you use big or fancy words to make yourself look good, you’ll make yourself look silly instead.
This is especially true if you are talking to a friend who knows you well. They know the real you, and when you start talking down to them, it will become more than annoying, and they will probably find someone else to talk to.
- Too much or too fast
If you talk more than you listen, or you talk too fast, what do you think the other person is doing? Do you really think they listen to all the things you talk about?
Maybe they are a good friend and are trying to hear you out. I have a friend who tolerates me this way, so they do it sometimes. But honestly, if you’re doing all the talking, even your best friends will start avoiding you.
Yes, even my best friend did this to me once or twice. You may not admit it, but it helped me practice calming myself down. As you can see, that’s all there is to it.
We don’t always have conversations because we’re bad people. Sometimes we feel overstimulated and there is too much going on in our brains. But in order not to be too annoying, we must constantly exercise self-control when communicating.
Here’s the point
What it all boils down to is listening. If we listen as much as we speak, we will learn how to speak correctly. Over time, because of all the changes in who we are and the technology we use, we have forgotten the basic unspoken rules of communication.
But if we try, and I mean really try, we can learn how to talk to each other the right way again. As I mentioned several times throughout this post, listening is the foundation of learning this task.
So, with all that being said, talk less, listen more. This is the key to destroying annoying conversation habits and keeping friends close.
