A friend of mine keeps getting carried away talking about herself, how can I prevent that?

Question

I have a friend who is too self absorbed when she talks to me. I feel that every time we talk she makes it too much about herself, and I can't tell her all the things going on with my life, yet; we concentrate too much on her...

She doesn't do it intentionally, yet how can I prevent that in my conversations with her??

Your tips and pointers are appreciated.

Answer 1

If she's constantly talking about herself, try branching a story about you onto one of her stories...For example, if she's droning on about her latest crush, just cut in and say "Oh right, about Brad..." and launch into a story that you have. (if you have one!)

hope this advice helps!

Answer 2

Your best bet is to tell her how you feel provided that she is a close friend. If she is a close friend of yours it is important to be honest, especially if she doesn't do this all the time. It may be that she's got a lot on her plate at the moment and therefore, keeps going on and on about herself.  

And it is after all the key to a strong friendship is it not? Friendship is based on the prerogative u have to tell the other person whatever comes to your mind. So use that to your advantage. After all, we express ourselves best with the people whom we call our friends and therefore, if she is a good friend of yours she should be glad that you told her what you felt so that she might be able to change that, provided that she isn't doing it on purpose.

I understand this is a difficult topic to discuss. I mean, you don't just go around telling people the blunt truth about how they are. But use your judgment in deciding what kind of friend she is. She might be one of those friends who just likes to talk alot and comes off as self absorbed even if she isn't. That would be the type of person who would appreciate honesty and use it to their advantage. However if this friend is the type of person who simply talks to you in order to wreak the benefits of your company, then its not worth it. Only true friends deserve your full honesty.

I know its hard to just say it directly, so you might try finding that gap the talk about something relating to yourself and your life. See if she allows the conversation to flow in a direction where the focus shifts from her to you..

Just remember, all of us get these feelings sometimes so there's a point at which you stop and say "Listen, I really have to tell you something" and then go on and say whatever it is about your life that you need to listen. A true friend will listen and focus on YOU, you just have to bring up the topic.

If not, then its not worth spending too much time on people who are just using your company to vent their frustration or complain about their life.

Answer 3

When you 2 are in a conversation, try to get her attention so that she would stop talking for a moment and tell her about whats going on, your life