Dealing with ‘friends' who only ever try to one-up you

Have friends who are overly competitive?

You’re not alone in this.

It’s more familiar than you might imagine. How can a perfectly functional friendship go from collaborative to competitive?

Dealing with friends who constantly try to one-up you in conversation can be frustrating, but there are a few strategies you can try:

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

1. Don’t engage in the one-upping behavior: If your friend makes a comment that seems like they are trying to one-up you, you can choose not to engage with it. For example, if your friend says "I ran a marathon last weekend," and you respond with "That’s great! I’ve been trying to train for a 5K," and your friend responds with "Oh, that’s cute. I’ve done multiple marathons," you can choose not to respond to their comment and simply change the subject. A sarcastic congratulations might just egg them on even more, so don’t do it, even if you want to!

2. Address the behavior: If the one-upping behavior is becoming too much to handle, it may be worth having a conversation with your friend about it. You can express how their behavior makes you feel and ask them to stop. For example, you might say "Hey, I’ve noticed that sometimes when we’re talking, you seem to be trying to one-up me. It makes me…