Experts Outline 5 Ways to Handle Conversational Narcissists as Voice Notes Fuel One-Way Talk
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 13
Experts Outline 5 Ways to Handle Conversational Narcissists as Voice Notes Fuel One-Way Talk
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 13
Summary
Five common types of conversation hogger — from serial monologuists to interrupters and “care bears” — are identified in a guide to handling increasingly one-sided social exchanges.
Charlotte Fox Weber and Tamu Thomas link the problem to digital habits, arguing that WhatsApp messages and voice notes train people into monologues and weaken turn-taking and improvised face-to-face conversation.
For serial monologuists, psychologist Sarah Rozenthuler recommends giving full attention for 5 or 10 minutes, then redirecting the discussion with a deliberate topic shift.
For trauma dumpers and boomeraskers, the advice is to set clearer boundaries — asking for contact beyond crises or using vague replies and “mirror questions” to avoid being cut off.
The broader takeaway is that difficult talkers are best managed with calm redirection and explicit conversational limits, rather than silent resentment or direct confrontation.