polymathwannabe comments on Stupid Questions January 2015 - Less Wrong

8 Post author: Gondolinian 01 January 2015 02:30AM

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Comment author: Vaniver 01 January 2015 06:45:59PM 3 points [-]

Most solutions require either the consent of the talker or that they not be present. For example, one solution is that the group splits into multiple subgroups, so that multiple people can talk at once- but there are ways for the talker to counter that, like abandoning their subgroup to join another subgroup (effectively merging the two) or asking people to keep to one conversational thread.

There's a broad blunt-subtle continuum of ways to communicate to someone that's they're dominating the conversation, and it generally seems best to use the most subtle option that they'll actually notice, but again, communicating to someone that they're dominating the conversation doesn't mean they'll stop dominating it.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 01 January 2015 09:30:57PM 10 points [-]

There's a chance that the rest of the group really likes listening to the talker.

Comment author: Brillyant 03 January 2015 06:48:36AM 3 points [-]

Good point.

I've been in groups in which the conversation seems to require someone dominate the conversation in order to lead it to somewhere interesting. Of course, its nice if that person finds a way to get other involved...but conversation in many groups does not flow at all without someone driving it and, therefore, sometimes seeming as if they are dominating (at least to some people). Sitting in a group of people who can't keep a conversation going can be just as frustrating as someone who can't shut up.