Hello Readers, Linda here. Today I want to talk about a sensitive topic “One Uppers”. One Uppers are people who always have a better story than you do and interrupt you every time you are telling a story of your own. This can happen in a group setting or one on one. Let me tell you, I am guilty of this myself. I have to stop myself when people are talking to me and really LISTEN to them and not “ONE UP” their story. I find this to be very hard but with practice it can be done. I am getting better at it every day. I know this is not intentional on anyone’s part because we only want to emotionally relate to the person we are speaking to and unless someone tells you that you are “One-Upping” then you probably don’t even realize you are doing it.
It is very annoying for the person trying to tell the story because they keep getting interrupted by the “One Upper’. Pretty soon the person doesn’t even want to finish their story because the “One Upper” will always have a better one. If you are a “One Upper” and didn’t realize it until now here is some advice.
1. Listen to people when they talk to you, it is always better to be a good listener than to have a better story.
2. Just listen to people without telling your story. Let them feel like they are the most important part of your conversation. This will help you win friends and influence people.
3. If you are a “One Upper” practice these tips with a close friend and tell them what you are doing to get their feedback. Trust me, they will be more than happy to help you.
You will notice after practicing these tips people will want to me more engaged with you in conversation and won’t want to run off quickly to avoid you. Yes, I know this is hard to hear but I find myself wanting to avoid One Uppers all the time.
Xoxo, Linda