It's Not Automatically Rude To Talk About Yourself

You've probably heard the idea that "It's rude to talk about yourself". Most people take that to mean "It's rude to talk about yourself excessively, and barely or never ask anything about whomever you're speaking with." They realize in a good conversation there'll be a mix of each person asking about the other and sharing things about themselves.

Some people learn it's rude to talk about themselves and take the suggestion too literally. They don't reveal enough about themselves, and it hurts their interactions. Sometimes they can't think of what to say next, because no more questions come to mind, and giving any personal information isn't an option. They may meet someone at a party, and put them off by going into Twenty Questions / Interviewer Mode. They get into lopsided, unsatisfying "friendships" with self-absorbed or needy types, because they give the impression that they're content to do nothing but listen.

Here are a few reasons why someone might go too far with the concept that it's rude to talk about yourself:

Some people are more likely to embrace the idea that they shouldn't talk about themselves:

To clarify, it is poor form to talk about yourself in the following ways:

However, talking about yourself in these ways is normal and acceptable:

If someone is interested in you, they want to learn what makes you tick. They want to find out what kind of person you are. For regular, non-narcissistic people, it actually feels uncomfortable and unbalanced to share a bunch about themselves, while their conversation partner remains an inscrutable blank slate. If you're paranoid about what might happen if you talk about yourself too much, realize that if you only do it every now and then, and apologize if you catch yourself in the act, no one is going to be too bothered by it. Self-absorbed conversation monopolizers have to keep it up for a bit longer before they wear everyone down.