SO, we're all counting while PRETENDING to listen?

The problem with "don't interrupt" is this: Some people will never, ever let you get a word in edgewise. Most people, these days. And no one listens, partly because no one listens TO them, either. This is why I prefer asynchronous, online, text-based conversations. If you respond without reading, odds are pretty decent that you'll look like a complete idiot. Whereas, if you respond in conversation without listening, you just have to be the loudest person in the room.