Do You Talk Too Much?

You may have lots of opinions and well thought ideas that you want to share with others. This is perfectly normally, but sometimes you can cross over the line of what's socially acceptable and become known as an excessive talker or a “chatty Cathy”. How can you tell if you talk too much?

There are certain signs you can look for that will tell you when you're dominating the conversation and talking too much:

1. Do you notice that people look restless when they talk to you? As you talk, you may notice them looking around at their surroundings instead of looking at you when you speak. They may exhibit other subtle signs of restlessness such as adjusting their clothing, fidgeting, or tapping their foot in a nervous manner.
2. Do people tend to come up with excuses for ending a conversation with you? They may pretend they see someone they know, suddenly remember a pressing appointment or engagement, or repeatedly look at their watch or ask the time.
3. During a conversation with another person are you doing the majority of the talking? Think back to the last few conversations you had with another person
4. Did the other person get a chance to express their opinion or do you completely dominate the conversation? If you're doing more than 60% of the talking, you can be pretty sure that you're talking too much.
5. Do you talk excessively about your personal life at work or other professional functions? Not only are you likely to be boring your listeners since they don't know the people and circumstances you're prescribing, but you may be revealing information that's best left private. You don't want another excessive talker to gossip about your personal life. This will certainly not win you any points with your boss or supervisor.

Unfortunately, when you talk too much, your listeners may think of you as being self absorbed and selfish which won't win any personality points for you. If you really want to know if talking too much is a problem for you, ask a trusted friend if you're sometimes too long winded. If you don't have any friends, that's another sure sign that you talk too much!

The good news is that excessive talking is a habit that can be corrected once you're aware of the problem. When you're having a conversation with another person, learn to gauge their level of interest by their body language. If they're not maintaining good eye contact and if they look distracted, there's a good chance you're boring them with excessive chatter. Why not stop and see if the other person has an opinion they'd like to share? You may learn something new and fascinating.