Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Best Ways To Politely Tell Someone That They Talk Too Much

People Share The Best Ways To Politely Tell Someone That They Talk Too Much
Couple Talking with Therapist · Free Stock Photo
Make us preferred on Google

I used to work at a grocery store once upon a time. Those were dark times, but I suppose you're not surprised. It was a pretty run of the mill place, the management wasn't particularly great, and the people ran the gamut from indifferent to annoying. I had really lovely coworkers, though. I think of them now and again. But then I'm reminded of that one guy who wouldn't stop talking and who had a talent for speaking in non-sequiturs. He handled the till right next to mine so...

I.

Couldn't.

Get.

Away.

After Redditor EntrepeNetherlands asked the online community, "How do you politely tell someone they are talking too much?" people offered their best advice.


"If you're in a group..."

If you're in a group, encourage others to say something. Either specify someone or be like "what do you guys think?"

MakesTypos

"If I want to get out of a conversation..."

If I want to get out of a conversation I let them to continue to talk while nodding accordingly.. I let my eyes focus on something off to the side and behind them with a mild look of concern on my face, then slowly let my eyes open wider and wider. When they turn to look at what I was looking at I walk away

undeleted-error-76

"As a white person..."

As a white person, I do the pained hallway smile hoping they get the point. If they don't, I await death.

Ghosted_Gurl

"In the Netherlands..."

If you are friends with the person just tell them. If you are not friends with them just tell them. In the Netherlands it is polite to do that and nobody cares.

superturtle2008

"Just do."

Just do. I like being shut up with humor, but also seriously and honestly. last time it worked i got: "Sorry, i can't listen anymore, I'm sensitive to sounds and I'm about to have an input overload."

Kyrilla_Mignon

"My experience..."

My experience has been that the type of people who will over-talk without picking up your subtle body language cues that you're not interested in listening anymore, are generally totally fine with being interrupted and hearing directly that you can't or don't want to talk anymore.

magicpurplecat

"And if they keep talking..."

Say, "I've gotta go. Talk later." And if they keep talking, leave them in a dumpster and burn the evidence.

pyrohammer77

"Because..."

I don't know how polite it is, but I often feel like saying to Mr./Ms. JabberJaws, "Do you want to be almost immediately twice as happy?", and if they answer "Yes", then I would say "Then only speak half as often as think you should".

Because man oh man the people I see yammering away almost always end-up screwing themselves with the things the say.

guitamoir

"Sometimes..."

Sometimes just listening to what they have to say helps, they could just have a lot to talk about and no one else to talk to.

343-guilty-mendicant

"I generally say something..."

I generally say something along the lines of, "I hate to cut off your train of thought, but I just had the thought of [relevant point that moves the convo in a new direction or to a topic I can talk more about]" or "So sorry to cut this conversation short, but I need to be going to [appointment] so we'll have to pick this up another time!" Or if I'm at a gathering I'll say "I've just seen someone I need to catch up with, may I excuse myself?"

fishy-in-water

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

MapQuest logo in office; Donald Trump
Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

MapQuest Downloads Soar After They Refuse To Bend The Knee To Trump Over Lake Ontario—And We Love To See It

The 30-year-old navigation company MapQuest is topping the download charts after not following Google's lead and following President Donald Trump's order to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that the United States was considering "changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don't expect to [be] doing much business with Ontario any longer."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Donald Trump
MeidasTouch Network; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

AOC Trolls Trump With Brilliant Suggestion After He Tells Americans To Stop Complaining About AI Data Centers—And We're So Into It

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocked President Donald Trump after he was criticized for telling Americans to stop complaining about AI data centers being constructed in their communities.

Data centers—vast, industrial buildings packed with servers, networking hardware, and storage systems—form the physical backbone of modern computing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco attend the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Benny Blanco Just Shared A Racy Video Of Selena Gomez Sunbathing—And Fans Are Living For It

Selena Gomez is giving fans a whole new reason to "Look at Her Now." Over the weekend, Benny Blanco posted a TikTok video showing Gomez lying on her stomach while sunbathing topless. It’s unclear whether the star is wearing bikini bottoms.

The literally cheeky moment quickly turns playful when Gomez realizes Blanco is filming her. The singer smiles before immediately covering her face.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kelly Clarkson
The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

Kelly Clarkson Just Performed 'Golden' As Her Final 'Kellyoke'—And She Absolutely Crushed It

After seven years of performances, guest, laughs, and sharing her fans' living rooms, The Kelly Clarkson Show has come to an end.

Back in February, Clarkson made the announcement that the show would come to a close at the end of the Fall 2026 season, so she could focus on her two children, 12-year-old River and 10-year-old Remy, after the death of their father and her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

Keep ReadingShow less
John Galliano presents the British Emerging Talent Menswear award on stage during The Fashion Awards.
Tristan Fewings/BFC/Getty Images for BFC

2027 Met Gala Theme Canceled After Designer John Galliano Drops Out Due To Backlash Over Past Antisemitism And Racism

The 2027 Met Gala is still eight months away, and somehow, the controversy has already arrived fashionably early.

When John Galliano: Horizons was announced on July 31, Galliano was set to join a remarkably short list. Only Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo in 2017 had been honored with exhibits while still living. Well, he was supposed to be.

Keep ReadingShow less