Toggle comments on Stupid Questions January 2015 - Less Wrong

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

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (110)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Toggle 02 January 2015 11:28:13PM 2 points [-]

One of many strategies is to change the subject. The most domineering conversationalists I know tend to be specialists talking about their own field, and the one-sided nature of the interaction flows partly from their local expertise. Many people talk less if they see a large chance that they will accidentally say something embarrassing, and an unfamiliar topic is a quick and polite way to get them there.