I like to stop people and then paraphrase what they said to confirm that it's in fact what they mean. People tend to go on and on about shallow, catty, nonsense and often don't seem to know too much about what they're talking about anyway. Lol. I like to try to get to a point where they agree with me on something, then i can often change the subject to my interest.
For example, if they're saying something like "oh yes and you know, atoms make up everything that exists so they are basically the building blocks of our existence" but I have no interest in this topic at all, I might say something like "so it's kind of like you're attracted to molecular structures because they're just so influential, but most people never even notice or think of them. It's like you're in on a secret." Then, even though they never even thought of that, they agree because it sounds great. Then I say "that's how I feel about art and design. It's everywhere and totally makes up our world but people don't even realize it." Then I can often proceed to carry on about my own topic because i just gracefully changed the subject by making the other person feel like i'm on their side
It took me a while to get comfortable with this, and i'm still not successful with it all the time, but it definitely helps. I think the key is figuring out some way to make a conversation like a game or a challenge. If you're interested in the game, people will feel like you're interested in them and everybody wins!