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My book club told me I was hogging the conversation. That stung.
Last month at our meeting in Chicago, someone finally said I talk too much about symbolism and don't let others get a word in. I honestly didn't realize I was doing it. Now I make myself count to five before jumping in and it's made the discussions way better. Has anyone else gotten feedback that changed how they act at book club?
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ross.lily15d ago
Park.miles, that notebook trick is good advice. Counting to five got easier for me after a while, but the notebook is a solid backup. One thing I want to gently push back on though. You said Austin was a couple years back, but your profile still says you live there. Moving is a big deal, so I'm just wondering if it's actually a couple years or more like a few months. Either way, the point stands. Getting called out for steamrolling is rough, but the people who say it are usually doing you a favor. It's better to hear it from friends than from nobody and keep doing it forever.
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park.miles15d ago
Count to five is a good trick. I had the same thing happen at my old group in Austin, couple years back. Someone pulled me aside and said I was treating every book like it was a classroom lecture. It stung but they were right. What worked for me was bringing a small notebook and writing down my big thoughts instead of blurting them out. That way I could wait my turn and still say what mattered without steamrolling everyone.
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