Miss Manners Tackles Stuttering

In her nationally syndicated column, Miss Manners responds to a question we get all the time…

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper protocol when speaking with someone who has a stutter? Is it considered helpful or rude to assist him in completing a sentence or question?

GENTLE READER: How can you assist someone in completing his or her statement unless you already know what that person was intending to say? And if you already know what is going to be said, why bother holding a conversation?

So yes, it is considered rude to finish other people’s sentences. And Miss Manners wants it to be clear that this applies not only to stutterers, but to spouses as well.

A helpful resource from the Stuttering Foundation is 6 Tips for Talking with Someone Who Stutters.

Posted Feb. 26, 2014

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Winston Churchill

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Bob Love

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Bruce Willis

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