• Ileftreddit@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    15 hours ago

    As with everything, context is pretty important. There are definitely people who are one-uppers, but not everyone. Context can usually provide the answer, unless one is socially disadvantaged.

  • NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    51
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 day ago

    I’ve absolutely never understood the idea that this is one-upmanship or trying to make the conversation about yourself. It’s a very solipsistic take - we are social creatures.

    I use Arch btw.

    • Flickerby@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      19 hours ago

      I have this one friend who is an immensely kind person but she’s just horrible at this. She tries to relate with a relevant story but it always comes off as her just trying to shift the story to herself. If she wasn’t such a sweetheart I’d think it was intentional but I think she’s just bad at this one particular conversational aspect. Is a little cute seeing her try so earnestly and fail so spectacularly, not gonna lie

    • Zenith@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      24 hours ago

      I mean there are people who do that and it’s usually very obvious they are doing it, not just relating to you. It’s a completely normal and acceptable way to have a conversation and I’ve never understood the people who say otherwise like what do you even talk about if you can’t even reference your own life? I think those people are probably just those “I don’t do small talk” people

  • murtaza64@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    1 day ago

    I learned about shift response vs support response from this Anna Akana video: https://youtu.be/y99WZ-3c6zE

    Time and place for both, but putting names to them made me a bit more conscious of balancing the two.

    PS, if you haven’t seen her LA Metro PSA videos, treat yourself and check them out

  • Panamalt@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    111
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    I was literally told constantly growing up that finding something relatable and sharing is part of normal conversation, but then people would be offended if I did and tell me I’m “too quiet” if I didn’t. Like wtf do yall want, WHAT DO I DO, GAAAHHHH . . .

    . . . fuck it, I’ll just talk about trains the whole time

    • Tonava@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      15 hours ago

      As someone on the spectrum the way I’ve learned to deal with this is basically: A) first reacting empathically (“Oh god that sounds horrible”, “Are you alright?” etc.) B) then bringing up relating things, but trying to always turn the topic back in the end so they can continue about their thing (“Yeah I once hurt my ankle, that wasn’t fun. Your arm must hurt so much”) C) trying to downplay the relating story a bit if possible is usually good, to make sure you’re signaling that you’re not trying to steal the spotlight (“It was hard enough just hopping around for months, I can only imagine how difficult it’s to do stuff with only one arm”) D) if nothing else seems to work, people tend to like being asked questions about them and the thing (“What did the doctor say?”, “How long do you think it’ll take to heal?”)

    • lobut@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 day ago

      Here’s what you do, whatever you feel is right in the moment. Will some people hate it? Yes. Will some people love it? Yes.

      You can’t please everyone and you wind up disappointing yourself.

      One of my best friends, we interrupt each other’s stories all the time and that’s just the natural flow. Never snapped at her or vice versa or anything.

      I have other friends that REALLY can’t handle that. So I gotta like, dial it back with those people specifically.

      I will say that one thing you should try to keep in mind is that before you perhaps chime in is remember where you branched from and bringing it back to that.

    • Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      2 days ago

      Bees are also an excellent topic. Did you know there are bees that are nocturnal? Or that some use feces to deter predation of their hive?

      • Rose Thorne(She/Her)@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        17
        ·
        2 days ago

        Opossum facts are a fun filter.

        You can slowly get more and more gross, those who step away are weak and undeserving of your companionship.

        • LwL@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          20 hours ago

          You can’t just say that and not supply us with at least one gross opossum fact…

          • Rose Thorne(She/Her)@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            9 hours ago

            Sorry for being behind on replying.

            So, one that I don’t really get why it grosses people out, but female opossum can stuff a decent chunk of their own face into their pouch. Like, double over and just get up in there. They keep it fairly clean, and can retrieve dead babies(more babies than nipples, some just fail to develop), sometimes snacking on them.

            The reality of “playing dead” can get people. I have watched crowds blanche as we broke the illusion of them just “falling over”. They do fall over often, but it’s accompanied by voiding their stomach. They look and smell diseased when they do it. Never had one actually do it on stage, our ambassadors were heavily worked with before ever doing a public appearance, but just being able to give a first hand explanation got some fun reactions.

            On the topic of opossum shit, this one is getting well known, but can still catch people off guard: They do feces recovery, like many species! Just handfuls of their own shit, shoveled on in. They also prefer to use a waterway as a bathroom, so they sometimes dip their tails to act as a catch for the feces. They’re just… They’re covered in it. Yet they are surprisingly clean animals!

    • krashmo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      I think the key when trying to relate to someone is brevity. You want to signal “I understand what you’re saying because something similar happened to me” not “shut up, we’re talking about me now”. The former is more difficult to do the more words you use. At the very least you have to stop talking long enough to let the other person continue their story if they want to.

  • Dohnuthut@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    1 day ago

    I changed jobs about a month ago, but never felt like my previous boss actually cared about my spouse having cancer (always said she could relate because her 70 something year old mother had a different type of stage 4). New job, people have said they can relate and understand, but have absolutely made it about me and how I’m doing, not how they’re doing.

  • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    1 day ago

    Whenever somebody tells me about the death of a family member, I always end up mentioning my cat that died six years ago. And I feel fucking stupid as I’m saying it but I can’t seem to control myself. I’ve never lost a (human) family member that I was really close with so I just feel like I have no idea what to say, although I’d like to somehow make the person feel better in some way. So out comes the cat comment.

    • Sc00ter@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 day ago

      As someone who has lost a dog they were really close to, i get it, and i appreciate it. Loss is loss. The feelings we feel are similar.

      Its like when people with kids talk to people with pets and they talk about pets as their kids. It doesnt bother me, thats what you know. And honestly, sometimes, my 4 year old isnt much different than a dog anyway. People that get offended by that, imo, are self centered and lack empathy themselves

    • krawutzikaputzi@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 day ago

      So I can totally see myself and especially my boyfriend doing that in a couple of years. (Our cat died this year) Sweetly he and a friend connected over death because a friends mum died a coupe of years ago. I was like oh my god you can’t compare that, but our friend really opened up about his mum after we told him how heartbroken we’re after our cat’s death.

    • GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      10 hours ago

      Connecting: “I know how that feels. This one time, something similar and awful happened to me. It still hurts.”

      One-Upping: “Oh, that’s nothing. This one time, something similar and awful happened to me, pity me for how I hurt more than you.”

    • xor@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 day ago

      it is. However, some people (fuck you dana) can’t let someone tell a story without interrupting with a “my story is worse” and then just talk over you, telling their whole story you just reminded them of….
      it’s “one upping” that’s the problem… it’s nuanced but it’s possible to relate without taking over the conversation.

      • Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        24 hours ago

        Meh, I dont have the patience to figure out all the sophistications of small talk. If I’m telling you something you left a lull in the conversation and feel free to take back over when ever you like.

        • xor@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 hours ago

          it all depends on what the conversation is about. If it’s about my toenail, feel free to chime in… and balance, like don’t just prevent anyone else from talking

  • VitoRobles@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    53
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    I don’t have a problem when they bring it up either. It’s when they dismiss my story to highlight theirs.

    “Oh, you were in a car accident? That’s NOTHING. I was in a REAL car accident where I nearly died.”

    “Your parents divorced? That’s not even a real divorce. They just separated. My dad died. From the car accident.”

    “Oh, your house was on fire? You call that a fire? PATHETIC. My house was on fire after my mom drove her car into it, setting off a gas explosion, killing my father.”

    • krashmo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      2 days ago

      I think sometimes people say things that come across that way in order to offer potentially helpful advice, not to one-up you. For example, if you had a minor house fire recently but my house had burned completely down at some point then I might tell you my story as both a way to let you know that I understand how difficult your situation is and offer assistance with what comes next. Dealing with insurance and replacing your stuff can be an overwhelming proposition. If I don’t communicate the desire to help you particularly well then you may think I’m just trying to say that I had it worse when really I’m wanting to help you but am simply too awkward to do it effectively.

      Obviously some people are trying to shift the focus off you and on to them but I think you should be able to tell someone’s intentions with a quick follow up question to whatever they say. Something aimed at determining whether they want to help you or just talk more about them.

  • jsomae@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 day ago

    One time I made the mistake of trying to relate to somebody with many allergies by comparing it to how I was raised vegetarian. Wow I’ve never made somebody so offended in my life. I really fucked up and I am never going to relate to anyone again.

    • Zenith@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      24 hours ago

      Letting one bad experience change the entire way you interact with the world is giving that one person who was offended an insane amount of power over you and your life

      • jsomae@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        24 hours ago

        I was being a bit facetious, don’t worry haha. But yeah that’s a good way to look at it, thank you.

  • 58008@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    16
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 day ago

    I think everyone secretly yearns for the opportunity to reenact that tired old movie cliché where someone half-heartedly says “yeah, I know how you feel” which causes the other person to angrily respond “NO, YOU DON’T KNOW HOW I FEEL, YOU CAN’T KNOW HOW I FEEL” and for the first person to sheepishly agree and apologise for the presumption.

    It makes every character who has ever said that seem like an insufferable cunt, and in real life it’s a thousand times worse. It sounds more like you fear that someone is trying to crib some of your weirdly-beloved pain as though it’s currency, and to wear it on themselves like the spoils of a war you just lost. The difference between thinking that, and thinking “this person wants to be with me in this moment and share the burden”, is so slight that it’s easily-missed, so I don’t necessarily fault people for the mistake. But you can literally just choose to go with option B in future, and in doing so improve your overall mental health and general vibe.

  • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    25
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 days ago

    I read a post about different communication styles, and this is “builder vs maintainer”. https://www.haileymagee.com/blog/three-communication-differences

    A builder will try to add to the conversation by adding their own experiences. A maintainer will not add their own, but will focus on the other person’s.

    A builder talking about something may feel like a maintainer isn’t that interested because they’re not adding anything.

    A maintainer talking to a builder may feel annoyed because the builder keeps talking about themselves.

    • callouscomic@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      1 day ago

      And I just think these grossly oversimplified textbook explanations for people are abject garbage.

    • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      Can you switch between the types during a conversation? I don’t have time to read that at the moment, but i will later. Sounds interesting.

      • Feathercrown@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 day ago

        Of course you can. Giving the two methods of communication names doesn’t make them absolute universal categories.

    • taiyang@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 day ago

      I like that framing. I’ve noticed I’m a builder, although talking about myself is just most accessable strategy. In academics, at least, it’s allowed me to instead pivot from myself to a theory or observation or something so building isn’t quite as self centered.

      In a sense that’s what you’re doing by providing that post, too. Best of both worlds to add to a conversation without diminishing the original. Master conversationalists can usually do that back to back to back, keeping a conversation going.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      2 days ago

      Support groups and group therapy. Identifying with someone else’s experiences through your own relatable experiences is a reaffirming connection.

      It’s helped me a lot navigating the Autistic tendency to get lost in the mechanics of the story. Now I try to end my contribution with reconnection to the original experience, emphasizing the validation, and returning control of the conversation.

      • voracitude@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        2 days ago

        Now I try to end my contribution with reconnection to the original experience, emphasizing the validation, and returning control of the conversation.

        This is something I’ve only just figured out how to do! I still need a lot of practice with it, my handoff is awkward and stilted and doesn’t always work, but I’m a little proud that I can still learn new coping mechanisms and strategies even at this comparatively later stage of my life.

        When did you learn this particular skill? Did you have guidance from someone close to you, or did you figure it out on your own?

        • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          2 days ago

          Group therapy. It’s very intimidating to start, since you’re joining a group of people that already know the ropes. It took a while for me to join in and share, but it didn’t matter. I personally learned far more from observation than sharing my personal experiences. I’m in my 40s, if that helps.

          • voracitude@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            2 days ago

            Ah, dammit. I’ll see if I can find something around me. It’s hard to convince myself to go because of the group aspect; much easier to stay home where I won’t upset anyone accidentally. But it does sound like it would be helpful; I’m younger than you but not by much. Thank you again!

            • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              edit-2
              1 day ago

              No problem! I joined an online group I found through my insurance portal. You may be able to do the same through your insurance provider’s website.

  • _____@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 day ago

    yeah, I almost always preface my rants with “is it just me or …”

    I do want to know what other people think and if the things driving me insane are also driving them insane

  • Apytele@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    18
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 days ago

    “I have it worse”

    and

    “Naaah bro that’s not that weird / dumb I do that too”

    Are very close sentiments at face value and it can take a fair amount of finesse to get something to read as the second one.

    Training to be a peer recovery mental health specialist helped a lot if any of you are interested in learning some better techniques. It’s mostly timing and choosing the right parts of the story to tell.

  • The Giant Korean@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    I feel like you can tell where the intent is behind it when they bring up a similar situation from their life. It’s not hard to tell if it’s from a helpful place vs them trying to upstage you.

    I tend to do this to try to relate and let them know they’re not alone, but lately I’ve just been trying to listen so that I don’t come across the wrong way.