You know those people who always seem to talk about themselves and never let other people speak in conversation? There's actually a word for that: a conversational narcissist. To better understand this type of narcissism and how to know if you're talking to one, mbg spoke with psychologists and clinical therapists.
Reluctant means resisting or unwilling, while reticent means quiet, restrained, or unwilling to communicate.
In short, because people are often hyper-aware of their lack of skill in conversing with strangers, such fears about their own conversational ability may contribute to their hesitance in talking to new people.
Meanwhile, other interrupters are impatient, goal-driven people who like to get straight to the point. And their way of making that happen is to interrupt and usurp control in the conversation.
People with ADHD tend to interrupt others because they're afraid of forgetting their point. To navigate this potential problem, just be honest. “[S]ay that you have something to share that you don't want to forget, yet you don't want to interrupt,” Matlen said.
Self-focused behavior
A common sign of ADHD is what looks like an inability to recognize other people's needs and desires. This can lead to the next two signs: interrupting.
The silent treatment is a refusal to communicate verbally with another person. People who use the silent treatment may even refuse to acknowledge the presence of the other person. People use the silent treatment in many types of relationship, including romantic relationships.
Misophonia is a disorder in which certain sounds trigger emotional or physiological responses that some might perceive as unreasonable given the circumstance. Those who have misophonia might describe it as when a sound “drives you crazy.” Their reactions can range from anger and annoyance to panic and the need to flee.
The silent treatment goes by many names: shunning, social isolation, stonewalling, ghosting. Although psychologists have nuanced definitions for each term, they are all essentially forms of ostracism. And the tactic is nothing new.
The term “conversational narcissist” was coined by sociologist Charles Derber who describes the trait of consistently turning a conversation back to yourself. A balanced conversation involves both sides, but conversational narcissists tend to keep the focus on themselves.
/nɑsɪˈsɪstɪk/ Other forms: narcissistically. If you can't stop talking about yourself and obsess constantly about the way you look, you could be exhibiting narcissistic tendencies, meaning you're obsessed with yourself, especially your outside appearance.
A conversationalist is someone who likes to chat, and is good at it. Conversationalists love to have — surprise! — conversations. If you're seated at a long formal dinner party, you hope the person next to you is a great conversationalist or you're in for a long night.
A loquacious person finds it easy to talk a lot and to do it fluently. You might notice that loquacious sounds like other words that have to do with speaking, like eloquence and elocution. All of these words' roots are tied to the Latin verb loqui, which means “to speak.”
: given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity : pointlessly or annoyingly talkative.
: inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech : reserved. : restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance. the room has an aspect of reticent dignity A. N. Whitehead.
Sometimes, for no reason they know of, people feel anxious, irritable, or sad. Emotional distress and upheaval can sometimes be brought on by stressful life events such as the loss of a loved one, problems on the job or at home, medical illnesses, or a problem with a relationship.
Irritable, testy, touchy, irascible are adjectives meaning easily upset, offended, or angered.
The “stonewaller” personality is the behavior of an individual who tends to shut down during an argument and refuses to communicate or even cooperate. This person is emotionally closed off, and at times it could be extremely hard to reach them.
Apathetic means uncaring. It's an adjective form of apathy—the state of not caring. It can also mean the absence or suppression of emotion or passion. Apathetic is especially used to describe people with a lack of interest or concern about things, especially those that others find important or exciting.
People with ADHD may have difficulty filtering out their own thoughts and ideas from those of others. As a result, they may find themselves speaking over other people without realizing it. This can be especially difficult in conversations where multiple people are talking at once.
Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.
Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly. Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked). Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
“Self-medicating” with argument is a prime example. Many people with ADHD are, if anything, argument-averse. And certainly, you needn't have ADHD to be an argumentative son of a gun. Yet, some individuals with ADHD do habitually bait others into heated disagreements.