People Who Can't Stop Talking About Themselves

by Gamma
(USA)

I am trying to understand the underlying mechanics of why some people can't stop talking about themselves? I know this one person who is always talking about how smart, or wild, or extreme they are or were growing up. Everything is very dramatic.

This person is a cancer survivor and are on a cancer prevention committee. Tonight I tried to change the conversation to prevention in the local community (enforcing existing smoking laws in the local community) and this persons energy dropped like a rock.

As soon as I stopped and they started talking about themselves again their energy came back up? I have pointed out the behavior in the past, but it does not seem to register. This person goes right back to the same behavior. They are not completely self centered. This person does things for other people, (Fix dinner, give someone a ride, ect..., but I get the impression that it is still connected, always having to one up the other person, and inevitably the conversation gets back to themselves.

Participating in this does not feel healthy, or satisfying. I do find myself interested in trying to understand the pattern, or mechanism of what makes this person behave this way? Any insight would be appreciated?