Rabbers wrote:
I do this a lot too and I am aware I maybe do it a bit too much so try to stop myself sometimes. I think it is a normal way to relate to people to an extent but if you come across as always needing to make situations about you or needing to 'go one better' then I think it can annoy people. So for eg if someone is telling you about their child being ill and you tell them about how your child was so much worse or someone is telling you about a hard time they are having at work and you have to have had an even worse time. I notice when other people do it but rarely realise I do it myself until after the conversation.
Oh yeah this could be the case. My friend used to date someone who did this. She'd talk about, say, her grandma being in the hospital and he'd say something like, "I don't have any grandparents." She'd feel guilty about saying anything at all.