The Only Child
I was talking to my brother about why my party was less than stellar: it was because we had two people in the group who just COULDN'T stop talking about themselves. If it's a one-on-one conversation, or a small group conversation, it's not as irritating, and sometimes I don't even notice it. But when it's a large group conversation, the egotist must really do violence to the flow of things in order to bring the topic back to herself. And everyone notices it, but people are too polite to object, and so we have to talk about things that don't really interest us - all uncomfortable but the one - or when we don't know the egotist very well, things that concern us not at all.
Example: topic: to be a dork and know it, or to be a dork and think you're alpha male?
"The Phi Psis may be dorks, but they were better than the Sig Eps. The Sig Eps are such douchebags."
"Remember me and Stoner Dan? That says it all."
"..."
"Oh, was he a douchebag?"
"Don't you remember? I went out with him once because Naif tried to set us up, and that was bad because..."
When I related this to my brother, he said, "I know exactly what you're talking about. I noticed that people who are the only child tend to do that."
He was right: both egotists were the only child. I ran this theory by my mom, and she posited that maybe these people are so used to having no one to talk to they have to take advantage of it when they do have a listener.
Of course, I know other only children who ARE properly socialized; nevertheless, a factor's a factor. It's seems so harmless, but I think future parents would do well to take note: it stands to reason that you're going to miss out on something if you don't have brothers or sisters.
Example: topic: to be a dork and know it, or to be a dork and think you're alpha male?
"The Phi Psis may be dorks, but they were better than the Sig Eps. The Sig Eps are such douchebags."
"Remember me and Stoner Dan? That says it all."
"..."
"Oh, was he a douchebag?"
"Don't you remember? I went out with him once because Naif tried to set us up, and that was bad because..."
When I related this to my brother, he said, "I know exactly what you're talking about. I noticed that people who are the only child tend to do that."
He was right: both egotists were the only child. I ran this theory by my mom, and she posited that maybe these people are so used to having no one to talk to they have to take advantage of it when they do have a listener.
Of course, I know other only children who ARE properly socialized; nevertheless, a factor's a factor. It's seems so harmless, but I think future parents would do well to take note: it stands to reason that you're going to miss out on something if you don't have brothers or sisters.
posted by Rex at 9:44 AM
3 Comments:
Good theory.
By the way, I knew Stoner Dan, and I can confirm that he actually did NOT meet the characteristics of douchebag, so far I as could tell. I mean, he may not have been the world's awesomest dude or anything, but he was a far cry from some douche-ish luminaries as Jonathan Olson or Kenny "Pure Gold, Jerry!" Bania!
I agree, Stoner Dan was perfectly okay. I knew him hardly at all, but he was one of Naif's best friends, and I know she could tell the wheat from the chaff.
So: see what I mean? Violence to the logic and flow.
By the way, it is not fair to compare Kenny Bania with Jonathon Olson. Bania was fictional, which puts him in a totally different league from the real-life travelling freak show.
This is true... I mainly mentioned him because, well, I just really wanted to use the phrase 'Kenny "Pure Gold, Jerry!" Bania'!
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