i hate this... when everything you say is responded to with "well I..." and "I did this..." and "that happened to me, I did this..." it''s okay to not respond to a story with your own story... ya know? just laugh and let me feel like i had something to share.

Right up there with being a bad listener!!

*shoves cork in mouth loony toons style* There, better.

A monopoly is a situation where there is only a limited source for the acquisition of given product.

So, I guess if you have a habit of eliminating the other people in a conversation, that could be seen as a potentially damning habit.

This drives me nuts. My mother in law though I love her dearly does this and it can really get annoying when I call on the phone. Not sure if she's still living in the 80s when you'd have to take a loan out to call Texas but she talks so fast and then asks a question as soon as I get 1 word out, she assumes how it will finish and goes on and on so fast that I can barely catch a word here and there!

The annoying part of being with someone who monopolizes the conversation is they usually make it so obvious that they are not interested in what others have to say. I have a relative who talks non-stop about topics she is only interested in. If someone else tries to talk she usually says Yeah. and then goes on and on about what she wants to talk about. I know others like this.they also have a tendancy to interrupt others when they talk. They are not bad people, but they sure can leave me exhausted from listening to them chatter on and on.

i have a friend that does this and it drives you crazy cuz she also talks at high speed and its like she cant speak as fast as her thoughts are in her head so her sentences will come out only half said and you have to put it all together in your own head that its only a matter of time before you have a headache from hell

It depends on what subject we're discussing. If it's on religion, sex, romance, then you can say all you want. When it comes to sports, new movies or even political issues, I'll take the floor.

I don't believe I do this very often so I don't think it's a habit of mine but when I do, I end up feeling very abrasive or pushy. A conversation requires two people, not just one loud mouth.

This is the worse. I knew this kid who had to monopolize the conversation no matter what. And if you were talking about something he didn't know anything about, he would change the conversation to something he did. Annoying.

let me talk, please...i want to say some thing, SHUT UP! -what i say in my head when this happens

I notice that more and more people monopolize conversations lately. I think the world moves so fast and there is so little time (or time created) for real interaction among people today. It seems that everyone just wants to be heard. I also agree with someone else's comment that good conversation skills (for ex: listening to another's opinion) aren't really skills that are taught anymore. I have always considered myself a good listener. Unfortunately, I find that makes me a perfect target for these monopolizers. I find myself hiding from many acquaintances and friends as well due to this annoying problem. I have another issue as well because I hate to hurt anyone's feelings, so I continue to listen and then I'm angry at myself later on. Sorry...I didn't mean to monopolize this conversation with this long comment.

In my opinion,the best part of a conversation is the part where the other person is talking.If you monopolize a conversation with any given person you are throwing away a chance to learn something from them.

If you talk too much and don't let me get a word in, I just won't listen to you anymore.

I don't mind it when it's somebody who entertains me.

This goes along my schpiel about one-upmanship . . . .It ends up making you look like a needy, lonely jerk, typically. A little grace goes a long way . . . .

I find this to be a very annoying habit, especially when combined with being a know-it-all and bragging. Some people really seem to love the sound of their own voice.

I hate people who do this b/c it's rude!

Yes, I once knew this kid in college, who we ended up totally having to avoid every night when we went to a party. This kid was soooo socially inept. He knew exactly what to say to get everyone who just met him hate him, especially girls! The thing is, he really didn't get the hints. He was so loud and a convo monopolizer to the fullest extent of the trait. The thing is, he was a cool kid in a small social scene where he was already accepted, but outside that secure environment, man, if he was around you couldn't get a word in, and you couldn't get girls.

it is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. (that's what i heard)

One of the people I work with does this all the time and it's wearing way thin. I don't care what anybody is talking about, she has an opinion and a personal experience in the matter, and it's pretty obvious sometimes that she's making the whole thing up. Of course, that makes everybody in the room uncomfortable and annoyed.

I think monopolozing a conversation is inconsiderate and annoying.

I get your point Dirk - but you can't really monopolize something in writing if everyone has the same opportunity to post at will. The only time it seems like a monopoly on a BB is if you only read one person’s posts. Here at RIA you can read hundreds of them and you also have the additional opportunity to tell people to blow it out their wazoo (not that either of us would do THAT) by voting against their comments or sending them email. Believe it or not the only time I have been known to monopolize a conversation was with my own family (and I admit to being really bad here). But they’re free to interrupt me when and if they feel the urge – and they do. I know a woman who monopolizes nearly every conversation she’s involved in regardless of who or how many she’s talking to. The result is usually that people generally try to avoid her. Inconsiderate and annoying.

There are a variety of different reasons why a person will monopolize a conversation. One reason is because a person does not understand the 'art of conversation'; they forget or don't know that conversations are about sharing ideas and listening to new ones. Good conversations are all about give and take, which is a major reason why we talk in the first place. Unfortunately, there are some people that have a thought stuck in their mind and no matter what another might say, that person refuses to actually hear what the other has said. And, so, they continue on and on about their own mistaken belief, thereby, projecting their own interpretation of the conversation onto the other, while neglecting the points the other made. These people can not be reached. They will not give up their own misconceptions and, therefore, can not engage in constructive dialogue. Another reason why a person might monopolize a conversation is because they know a great deal about what they are talking about and they are conveying all they know in a short time, similar to a teacher to a student. These conversations tend to be more like lectures than dialogues, but there is a place for this. In general, however, anyone who engages in conversation, which, of course, is nearly everybody, should be aware of the other person's need to be included. It's important to realize that talking is only one half a conversation, and that listening is often the forgotten other half.

People who do this are usually thoroughly obnoxious boors. I absolutely hate when someone monopolizes a conversation, especially when I have something to say that I WOULD say if the monopolizer would just shut his big fat mouth, or when (s)he interrupts and monopolizes a conversation that wasn't any of his/her business in the first place. In Foghorn Leghorn cartoons it's funny, but in real life, it ticks me off, big time.