Look, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the world is absolutely packed with people who think your words exist solely as a placeholder until they can start talking again. Right now, as you read this, millions of conversations are being hijacked by interruption predators who’ve never let another human finish a goddamn sentence in their lives.

You know the type. You’re in the middle of explaining why your weekend plans fell apart when Brad from Accounting suddenly jumps in with, “Oh that reminds me of this HILARIOUS thing that happened to ME on Saturday…” Your mouth is still forming words while Brad’s story about his dog’s birthday party steamrolls over whatever insignificant thing you were saying. The problem is that…

1) The World Is Full of Conversation Vampires

Most of us handle this poorly. We either:

1) Immediately shut up and silently fume while plotting Brad’s demise
2) Try to talk louder until the conversation devolves into two people shouting disconnected sentences at each other like deranged street preachers
3) Make a passive-aggressive comment later to a third party about how “some people just love the sound of their own voice”

None of these approaches fixes the fundamental problem, which is that conversation vampires will continue to feed on your verbal blood until you learn how to repel them.

2) Why You’re Getting Interrupted (It’s Not What You Think)

Here’s something they don’t teach you in school: Conversation isn’t just about exchanging information – it’s a subtle power dynamic that most people navigate unconsciously. When someone consistently interrupts you, they’re not necessarily being malicious. They’re just operating on the belief that their thoughts are more urgent, more interesting, or more valuable than yours.

The real mind-bender is that YOU might be reinforcing this dynamic without realizing it.

Every time you stop mid-sentence to let an interrupter take over, you’re sending a clear signal: “Yes, what you have to say IS more important than what I was saying. Please, take the floor while I shrink into conversational oblivion.”

Your brain has been programmed to be “polite” by yielding, but here’s the brutal truth: In the wild kingdom of human interaction, yielding gets you nowhere. Conversation jackals don’t respect politeness – they interpret it as weakness and an invitation to keep interrupting you until the end of time.

3) The Nuclear Option (That Doesn’t Require Actual Radiation)

So what’s the solution? Something so painfully simple it might make you angry you didn’t think of it sooner:

DO. NOT. STOP. TALKING.

That’s it. That’s the whole technique. When someone tries to interrupt you, you just… continue your sentence as if they hadn’t made a sound.

No, I’m not suggesting you shout them down like you’re auditioning for a role in “Angry People Yelling At Each Other: The Musical.” The key is to maintain exactly the same tone, pace, and volume you were using before. Don’t acknowledge the interruption in any way. Don’t glance in their direction. Don’t speed up. Just keep delivering your verbal package as if nothing unusual is happening.

It’s going to feel weird. Your social programming will scream at you to stop and defer to the interrupter. Your palms might sweat. You might feel like you’re committing some cardinal sin against the gods of politeness. Push through it.

4) The Mid-Conversation Judo Move

If your interrupter is particularly persistent (and some of these verbal bulldozers have the conversational stamina of an Olympic athlete), you’ll need to deploy the next level of the technique.

After several seconds of their failed interruption attempt, raise your hand in a calm “stop” gesture – palm slightly downward, not in their face like you’re a crossing guard – and say these exact words: “I am not finished.”

Not “Hang on” or “Let me finish” or “Excuse me.” The full, uncontracted “I am not finished” carries a subtle weight that’s hard to argue with. Then – and this is crucial – immediately continue your point without waiting for their response.

This is conversation judo. You’re using their momentum against them by acknowledging their interruption just enough to dismiss it while maintaining your verbal trajectory.

5) The Aftermath (Or Why You Should Act Like Nothing Happened)

Here’s where most people mess up this technique. They successfully fend off an interruption, but then they:
– Get visibly annoyed
– Make a snippy comment about being interrupted
– Lose their train of thought and babble nervously
– Never give the interrupter a chance to speak

Instead, when you’ve finished your point (the ENTIRE point you wanted to make), turn to them with an open palm gesture and say, “Now, tell me what you think about this.”

This accomplishes two things:

1) It shows you’re not a conversation dictator – you’re just someone who expects the basic courtesy of being allowed to complete their thoughts
2) It establishes that speaking turns are distributed by mutual respect, not by whoever barges in first

The psychological impact is profound. You’ve just demonstrated that you control when others speak in conversation with you, not the other way around. You’ve flipped the power dynamic without being aggressive.

6) The Physical Game (Because Your Body Is Talking Even When Your Mouth Isn’t)

All of this verbal wizardry means nothing if your body is broadcasting “PLEASE INTERRUPT ME” in giant neon letters. Your physical presence is crucial:

– Keep your chin parallel to the floor (not tilted down submissively or up arrogantly)
– Maintain eye contact, even if it makes them uncomfortable
– Plant your feet at shoulder width
– Never cross your arms (the universal signal for “I’m defensive”)
– If seated, sit straight and rest your forearms on the table
– Use your hands for emphasis gestures

Your body language should say, “I am a person whose thoughts deserve to be heard in their entirety,” not “I’m so sorry for taking up airspace with my insignificant words.”

7) Mental Preparation (The Secret Sauce)

The final piece of this conversational self-defense system happens before you ever open your mouth. You need to mentally prepare for interruptions by expecting them.

Imagine yourself in conversation. Picture someone trying to interrupt you. Now visualize yourself calmly continuing to speak, implementing the techniques above. Run through these scenarios in your mind until they feel natural.

The crucial mindset shift: frame interruptions as THEIR rudeness problem, not YOUR speaking problem.

When an interruption happens in real life, you won’t be caught off-guard. Your brain will recognize: “Ah, here’s that situation I’ve rehearsed. I know exactly what to do.”

—

Will this approach make some people uncomfortable? Absolutely. But that discomfort is valuable feedback to chronic interrupters that their behavior isn’t working anymore.

The beautiful irony is that as you consistently apply these techniques, you’ll find people interrupting you less often. They’ll learn that cutting you off yields no reward. They might even – and I know this sounds crazy – start actually listening to what you have to say.

And if all else fails, remember the mantra that should be tattooed on the inside of every interrupted person’s eyelids:

DO. NOT. STOP. TALKING.

And if you want to not only COMMAND the conversation but also be the most persuasive person in the room, you should join my Knesix Code™ Body Language Masterclass.

My framework boils down to three brutal truths:

Understand yourself—so you stop tripping over your own emotional shoelaces with a smile on your face.

Decode others—because people lie constantly, and some do it so well they should have their own Netflix special.

Influence with intention—not like a greasy con artist or a human doormat in business-casual.

Admission is currently open but seats are limited; you can join right now, here:

https://jesusenriquerosas.com/masterclass

I’ll see you at the virtual campus,

Jesús.

The Body Language Guy