When you’re dealing with a narcissistic talkative, the signs are always there; You just have to look. The moment you see someone trying to control or sabotage a conversation in their favor, congratulations, you’ve met the one!
Most people have experienced being in a conversation with a talking narcissist. The tendency to always return the conversation to themselves is unavoidable when talking to this person. They love to have a conversation about themselves, their lives, and their own experiences.
Unfortunately, they haven’t really learned how to have a healthy back-and-forth dialogue. The reason for this varies from person to person. All narcissists in conversation share these traits.
Here are 5 signs someone is a conversational narcissist
- They love to hear themselves talk.
This is the person who wants to talk. Most of us have been there; We are so caught up in our thoughts and feelings that we forget that we are even having a conversation with someone else. Forget moving through the conversation, asking questions, and letting the other person do the talking.
We want catharsis. We want to talk, and there is no room for “debate.”
When you’re talking to someone who just wants to hear themselves speak, there’s no room for you to get a word in because they’ll take over the entire conversation.
At any turn, whatever you were discussing could start a tall story about how the narcissist went through the same experience, and this is what happened to them. It can go from venting about your difficult day to trying to outsmart you and discussing that their lives are more difficult than yours.
Related: 10 Types Of Toxic People You Need To Avoid In Your Life
- They are eager to talk about their dramas.
A conversational narcissist often likes to talk about their struggles in the role of the victim. They love this place because it gives them sympathy, which is caring. They cannot move healthily through tough times but blame everyone and everything for their struggles.
While life can be difficult at times, and we all need a safe place to vent our frustrations, it’s important not to linger in that place. When you allow yourself to wait for too long, your mind will feel comfortable in this negative zone. He will get used to the attention he gets when he repeats the struggles and difficulties of life.
While this is the rational thinking of a healthy person, a self-talking narcissist may not be qualified to have those self-reflective thoughts.
- Braggart.
On the one hand, we may be dealing with a covert narcissist who likes to talk about his problems to gain sympathy and attention; We are now dealing with an outspoken narcissist whose only job is to show off.
This is a form of self-absorption that comes from deep-rooted insecurity.
While it’s healthy to have a good sense of self and have positive self-talk, it becomes a slippery slope when we start to brag too much. It can quickly shift from a healthy self-esteem of being proud of yourself to showing the world your deep-rooted insecurities and need for recognition and praise.
- They fake care.
With all the toxic ways, things aren’t always so black and white. Sometimes, you might be having a conversation with someone who appears to be in good health. They seem to relate to you and ask you questions. They seem to be having an adult conversation, and then all of a sudden, they find a window to talk about themselves.
This is what I call “fake care”. Although they may like you, that doesn’t stop them from wanting to talk. They may want attention, sympathy, venting, or showing off. Either way, you’re having a conversation with the person who brings it back to themselves.
No matter how they conduct the conversation for themselves, one thing all of these styles have in common is insecurity. As with all narcissists, there is a lot of insecurity under the surface.
There are a lot of reasons why someone might be narcissistic in conversation. Some people have narcissistic personality disorder, while others are just conversational narcissists but healthy and beautiful otherwise. The reasons behind this behavior vary.
- Some people crave attention.
They’ll ask questions, but after a while the talk goes back to themselves and how they’re feeling and what they’re thinking or they change the subject and start talking about a story that relates to them.
Some people are oblivious to their behavior. This is for people who aren’t narcissistic but might need a lot of self-awareness. mean no harm. They are just so immersed in themselves sometimes and are not aware of their actions.