Conversational Narcissists
TopicHeard in 1 episode across 1 show since Sep 2026
Conversational narcissists are individuals who consistently dominate interactions by steering the focus of discussion back to themselves, often utilizing "shift responses" rather than "support responses." The term "conversational narcissism" was originally coined by sociologist Charles Derber in his 1980 book, "The Pursuit of Attention," to describe this subtle, ego-centered behavior in everyday communication. Unlike clinical narcissistic personality disorder, it is a behavioral communication style characterized by an asymmetric pursuit of attention during social exchanges.
Episodes
First heard
Expert statements
Episodes per month
Public PodLume episodes featuring it, over the last year.
Show the data
| Month | Episodes |
|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 |
| Sep 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 2026 | 0 |
What experts have said about Conversational Narcissists
4 statements · 2 positive · 2 negative
People who dominate conversations by oversharing can be conversational narcissists.
“Conversational narcissist.”
Open the episode · Vanessa Van Edwards: The Conversation Habit That Makes Smart People UnlikableListen at 54:33
Conversational narcissism often stems from insecurity.
“Insecurity.”
Open the episode · Vanessa Van Edwards: The Conversation Habit That Makes Smart People UnlikableListen at 55:22
Curiosity can help conversational narcissists reduce one-sided talking.
“the way that they fix it is curiosity”
Open the episode · Vanessa Van Edwards: The Conversation Habit That Makes Smart People UnlikableListen at 57:06
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
Episodes
1 episode featuring Conversational Narcissists, newest first
