Why Your Friend Won't Shut Up About Herself Already

We probably all have that friend who, whenever we go out for drinks, just goes on and on and on about herself while we desperately shout with our eyes at the bartender so he'll interrupt her diatribe to ask if we want another round. (Yes. Yes, we do.)

  But rather than get annoyed with this me-me-me pal, we should probably just suck it up and be compassionate toward her. People who constantly say "me," "myself," and "I" are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

Looking at men and women who were being treated with emotional disorders, researchers found that those using first-person singular pronouns most often were more likely to have a major case of the sad than people who used plural pronouns (like "we") more often. (So, does this mean I can feel okay about the fact that, since I've gotten engaged, I find myself swapping "we" for "I" at an alarming rate? God, I hope so.)

 

Not surprisingly, people who go heavy on the "I"s and "me"s also tend to be more needy as well. So, keep gulping (er, sipping) your tusker and let your self-involved pal let it all out from time to time. She probably appreciates you listening to her more than you know.