Many people simply want to talk, and they are quick to make the "conversation" about themselves. It is almost an astonishing skill to see in action - the speed with which the topic of people not getting along with each other turns into a monologue about one's experiences in the past week is dizzying. Almost inevitably, the soloist will realize their mistake of changing the subject to oneself and attempt to make up for it by somehow connecting whatever important event was being spoken about to the previous, actual object of the conversation.

I started to notice this pattern of conversation when I started listening to other people. Other people have a lot to say, and there is often a lot to be learned from them. Listening to other people speak is a great way to pick up on interesting things about life and relationships. Observing other people can give you a better understanding of the world as a whole. Understanding other people's perspectives and being inquisitive about them can give one a much broader toolset for practically anything in life.

I'm guilty of making the conversation about myself, too. It was only after observing how ridiculous it looks in action that I started consciously avoiding talking about myself.

It's also possible to listen to oneself. One of the reasons I like writing daily blog posts is to keep a record of my thoughts throughout the year. It's useful to go back and look at things I've written in the past - sometimes I feel like I've made progress, and other times I feel like I still have a lot of learning to do.

Either way, one can always benefit from not talking about oneself. It isn't best to hijack conversations in order to talk about oneself. It's not open mic night. 

Listen, Observe, and Learn - Life's More About Others even.