You is Worrisome...One Uppers

Yesterday we talked about worrisome, agitating and ultimately self-absorbed people and how we might try and deal with them.  We kicked it off with crybabies and how always talking bad about yourself like saying, “I’m so ugly,” is just another way to make everything all about you. It’s a more depressing way of being self-absorbed. Now let’s get on the most obvious form of self-absorption that we’ll call the one upping. Anything you can do they already did better two weeks ago. To be blunt they’re both know it alls and buttinskies not to mention show offs. And they just never shut up, never. It’s like they’re running for mayor of a town called unsolicited advice.

  We’ve all dealt with in in others. Hell we’ve all been guilty of it at least once. So how do you cope with the one upper without strangling them and going to prison? It’s a bit trickier than dealing with the crybaby who is easily ignored and shook. While the crybaby will slink into a corner and use pity as a web to snare other victims the one upper will seek you out. If you simply try and hurry away from them they will follow you talking nonstop all the way. And it’s not like you can politely tell them to go away because disagreeing with them, even over the most mundane things, makes you their enemy. They take everything personally and stay beefing with someone.

 

So to deal with them I say just tune them out. They love hearing themselves talk so they don’t care whether or not you’re listening. You could go glassed eyed and slack jawed and they’d just keep prattling on. Do the Dave Chappell and throw in a, “Oh word,” every now and then. As much as talking to them makes you contemplate murder you must resist the urge to call them out on their B.S. That is unless you’re ready to fight them. Just realize that what they really have is a look at me problem. They’re the adult version of that little kid who’s yelling, “LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.” Since none of us ever really grow up chances are the one upper didn’t receive much attention as a child so they overcompensate as an adult by bragging, boasting, and inadvertently putting others down.

  As annoying as this sounds you should really pity them. They usually have the lowest self-esteem which is why they’re always seeking validation. So the next time they’re shoving their new watch in your face and you contemplate shoving it down their throat as they go on and on about how it’s the best watch in the universe just give them the oohs and ahhs they’re so desperate seeking then find your que to exit.