[NF] Do you get annoyed by interruptions?

[LucieCat]

I definitely don't like to be interrupted, but it's rare that I'm actually angered by it. Sometimes, the interruption could be important so I feel like the other person should be heard out. I also know that at some point i have to say, "Hey, I don't really have time right now and I'm in the middle of something important. We can discuss this later if you still want to."

I try to be pretty chill about it. That's probably because some former "friends" of mine back in middle school and high school actively hated it when I would see them talking and go up to say hello. And of course, they acted like I was in the wrong for trying to be friendly and catch up with them since they all saw each other more than I saw them. The hostility was really immature and frankly pathetic. So I've taken that as a lesson in how not to act.

 

[cacaia]

I try my best to tolerate them. However, if I am focussed on a task and in my zone and people interrupt me, I do get annoyed. I plan out what I'm going to do in my free time and it's like people are taking my schedule and ripping it apart with their petty interruptions. I am not successful with my tolerance internally. Even when I manage to show politeness on the outside, on the inside, there is a lot of turbulence, anger and anxiety.

Or when I'm in the middle of a thought and people cut me off, this is even worse. I tend to stammer and talk softly so it isn't hard for people to do. I need to get my thought out to have any kind of piece of mind at all. Or sometimes, my mom interrupts me when I'm in the middle of a task. I completely lose my train of thought when a task gets interrupted.

That is exactly how it goes for me. Then when someone interrupts my thoughts or actions, I feel like I have to drop everything and go help them, and next thing I know, I'm off task. Then I get even more irritated (on the inside) when I finally go back to my original thing I was doing and realize it is not done yet.

 

[cacaia]

I hear ya.

I have a coworker who will talk nonstop about the most inane things; she's just a talker. And everyone on my entire floor, doesn't matter whether it's introvert or extrovert, gets tired of it. I don't experience the brunt of it because early on I 'established' a dynamic where she doesn't come to me super often; I don't ask her many things about her life, so I don't give her the window to then start talking nonstop for fifteen minutes. Minus that being established, though... she's also someone who knows she can be 'a lot to handle' (her words), and when we had a bit of a misunderstanding/ issue last week, and her feelings got hurt, I smoothed it out by just being honest, saying: 'Hey look X, I want you to know that I can sometimes get frustrated because I'm someone who is trying to keep the operation of the store and the customer experience super efficient/ good -- that's what's on my mind if I become frustrated with you; it's never anything personal, it's about trying to keep lines moving, etc [this was with regards to her talking too much and customer lines getting too long].' I mean there was a bit more to the convo/what I said / I apologized and reassured her a bit, etc etc, but that was the gist of my message.

This opened the dialogue for her to then talk, and admit she can be a lot, and then for her to tell me that she'd rather just be told if she's talking too much/ needs to adjust something, that otherwise she might not know, and she's fine if I just tell her I can't talk right now, or if she needs to talk less with customers, etc. So now that we had that talk - I feel it's like we now have a common understanding / it's been established that she knows where I'm coming from, I know what she prefers, and so on. So being direct doesn't become as potentially 'hurtful' anymore.

Sometimes being open/having that dialogue can be really good for all parties, rather than just trying to appease people/ 'be nice'.

[MENTION=25763]Dreamer[/MENTION] I totally hear you. I feel like I experience that a lot.

Sounds like that was the best optimal way this could have gone! Glad she didn't just freak out on you and accepted this kindly. Awesome- win/win!
I don't even feel comfortable (or trust myself to be calm) saying it respectfully like that. I wish, though....

 

[Jaq]

Yes

 

[cacaia]

...is this really a T thing? I know some NTs who are a little hesitant to shoo people off. Usually the INTPs.

I mean, I always equaled it to a T function. I'm not a hundred percent sure. But then again, I'm never one hundred percent sure of anything LOL.
All the T dominants I know, though, will definitely handle it just like you would.

 

[Earl Grey]

I mean, I always equaled it to a T function. I'm not a hundred percent sure. But then again, I'm never one hundred percent sure of anything LOL. All the T dominants I know, though, will definitely handle it just like you would.

Oh, I'm no Ti-dom.

 

[Betty Blue]

If I'm really into something, heavily concentrating then I will become very frustrated very quickly if interrupted. This is because I have some pretty intense flows of thought and must complete them or they could be lost for eternity and at those points I will sometimes not even respond to people, or just snap a single word loudly like 'concentrating'

On the other hand, I'm very adaptable in most situations and can flit around with ease during multiple interruptions... it's just those intense concentration times.

 

[Mayflower]

Unless I'm really focused on something, I don't really care about distractions. If I am distracted by something, that generally means the distraction is more interesting than what I am currently doing.

 

[cacaia]

Oh, I'm no Ti-dom.

Sorry, I thought you mentioned that you were an INT-- Hence the T comment ;-)