Of course we all have been person A, B or C's at some point of our lives, especially the interrupters as a child. And at some point when growing up, people should learn to interrupt politely if the matter is so urgent, or just wait.
But as people are so different and some are rude, don't realize it, but don't mean to be rude, and if they were told that they were rude, would correct their behavior, the people I admire most are those B's and A's who are interrupted, but understand it and if they want to let the interrupter to know that he was rude, they tell it in a polite manor.
I'm easily distracted and if someone interrupts me demanding my attention, I try my best to be polite to both people. To A and C. I've been several times the person A and I remember how mad I became to the C's and B's. But as time went by and I realized that most of the interrupters are just humans, perhaps acting like assholes but not being total assholes, I try my best not to get mad at those people. Or those who let themselves be interrupted so that the person A is totally forgotten.
But if I was the person A and If it was a party where I don't know anyone else, I would leave. Come home and cry. Alone. As a matter a fact, being in a party where I don't know anyone or where I couldn't go with someone handcuffed or attached to me in any other permanent way, would be an impossible scenario. I would have to be totally wasted for that scenario to happen and as I rarely drink anymore, and the introvert in me is scared shitless of talking to people in real life, this all is an impossible scenario that would never happen.
What was the question?
When I'm person A and this happens I walk away. Simple. Life's too short. I haven't been person C for a long long time and when I'm person C I stop person B from going any further until I'm finished with person A. If that's going to take along time then I ask person C to come back, or make an appointment. (Assuming it's a work scenario.)
Thanks for your reply.
If I hadn't learned to tolerate interrupting behavior from most of my freelance co-workers, on those rare occasions when I see them, I wouldn't work with them. Oh wait, I rarely see them for a good reason... So maybe I haven't learned to tolerate them, maybe I've just learnt to avoid them or those who are the interrupting kind. :D
Not answering or leaving is always a good option if those attention seekers come to my way. But on the other hand it's pretty tricky for an entrepreneur if that interrupter is a customer. At that point I have noticed a thought pattern. I find myself thinking that how much do I want that persons money if he doesn't know how to behave and other customers are there, around us. A tricky situation and I can just hope that I've handled those situations well.
There's no room for tolerating people who I don't value. Sure, in my job I may have to deal with them in some way but I find avoidance preferable. Customers are a different matter, I get paid to tolerate the bad ones. It's all subjective and in a post as short as my original also difficult to get the whole message across.
Essentially, I have no tolerance for rude people. Accepting their behaviour condones it.