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Part 7 of Basic Response Techniques:
How to Interrupt a Bully
In many situations, responding to a bully requires you to interrupt him.
Are you worried about coming across as rude? Well, a bully prefers politeness in others (to him, politeness is a sign of weakness). But remember that a bully isn't polite when he manipulates and undermines you, so you don't need to be polite when you're defending yourself.
A bully will probably point out your rudeness, but ignore his sniping and attack the real issue.
| How to gently interrupt a bully |
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- Say Excuse me then his name
- Then ask him a question that gives you control of the conversation |
| What to do if he won't stop talking |
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- Forcefully repeat his name over and over, louder and louder
- Other things you can say to interrupt (for greater impact, use his name)
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| What to do if he still won't shut up |
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- Keep loudly and forcefully interrupting
- At some point, he may lose control and attack you - After he loses control, he may leave the room - If he threatens you with physical harm, you may have to leave the room! |
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How to interrupt him again
if he doesn't answer your question |
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- Forcefully repeat his name over and over, louder and louder
- When he stops talking, repeat your question |
| How to interrupt a bully who is interrupting you |
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- Stop what you are saying
- Say: Excuse me, but I'm not finished - Loudly repeat that phrase until he stops talking - For greater impact, include his name |