How To Know When To Drop A Subject

[Edwardo Piet]

I always reply. I feel rude if I don't say bye.

Sure sometimes they just end. But I say bye. Otherwise if I am talking to a friend who is sensitive and/or insecure, they might worry that something is wrong.

And I definitely always reply to questions, even if the answer is just "I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable answering that question." I never ignore questions and I don't even ignore statements, if I don't know what to say I say "I'm not sure what to say."

Before I leave I say "bye" or "got to go".

Yes conversations end naturally but that is not what this is about. This is about changing the subject not ending the conversation. If I'm talking to someone who wants to talk to me but I talk about the same thing for too long, the question is, is a good way to change the subject "Shall we change the subject?" or "let's change the subject."? Or are there better ways for changing subjects? Conversations do trail off... but that usually happens more with people you're not on the same wavelength with. But even people I get along well with, I sometimes talk about the same thing for too long. I just need to change the subject better, there's no need to end the conversation unless someone actually wants that. Clear?

EDIT: See, ironically I'm even doing it now. I was talking about changing the subject. And people changed the subject to ending conversations, and I am stubbornly sticking to it being specifically about changing the subject. Fair enough I made the OP and I want to be clear I was talking about changing the subject specifically, but I really will literally just steamroll this pedantic specification of this being about changing the subject all the way though the thread, stopping for fluff and memes and luz, naturally