Clue #4: Dominating the air-time.
Have you ever been in a conversation where the goal seems to be who could speak the fastest or the most? This leads us to our fourth clue in spotting a narcissist in conversation: the relentless battle for airtime. It’s like dialogue becomes a competition not for the best ideas but for who can dominate the conversation with the sheer volume of words. What you’ll see is a conversation where the scales are heavily tipped— one person does most of the talking, often cutting you off, interrupting you, or blatantly speaking over you. And they seem to be in a constant rush to express their thoughts, leaving zero space for yours. This isn’t just eagerness to share; it’s a clear tactic to maintain control, making sure their voice dominates and your input becomes secondary, if not entirely sidelined.
Recommended Book: How To Kill A Narcissist: Debunking The Myth Of Narcissism And Recovering From Narcissistic Abuse.
When you’re a generous and kind person, you’re going to miss this because you’re not threatened by allowing someone else to have the floor, and you might even be more comfortable taking the backseat in a conversation. But it’s important to know that this relentless grab for conversational dominance is a red flag for narcissism because of the underlying purpose to shift the power dynamics. It’s a calculated effort to reduce the conversation to a one-sided showcase of their own views.
Facing a conversational steamroller who turns dialogue into a competition requires a deliberate strategy that allows you to reclaim your space without directly confronting the aggressive dynamic. And this is where the pause, question, and assert method comes into action. It’s designed to specifically address the challenge of competing for airtime and it equips you with the tools to interrupt the cycle of dominance gently, to make sure that your voice is heard and respected.
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