This Common Phrase Is A Red Flag That Someone Is Self-Centered

Are you ever worried that you may sound selfish in conversation, or have you wondered why, exactly, that thing someone said rubbed you the wrong way? Don't get us wrong: There is healthy selfishness you can practice in your dating life, but you may have simply said a phrase that makes you sound self-obsessed by accident. Or, more seriously, another person may have revealed themselves as selfish if they use this type of saying serially, especially if they double-down with common excuses that make people sound self-centered.

One of the biggest culprits is "I knew it all along." It's easy to feel icky when someone says this to you. Even on the off chance that they were right, something about the "holier than thou" cadence probably didn't feel great, and that's thanks to hindsight bias, a psychological phenomenon in which someone believes past events to be more predictable than they truly were.

When someone uses this phrase, they're putting themselves above the other person, implying that they could've predicted the future when the other had no choice but to succumb to their circumstances. It's a way for them to feel as though they have the upper hand and more control over situations when, in reality, it may just equate to an inflated ego.

The phrase "I knew it all along" needs to be removed from everyone's vocabularies, but we understand that you need something else to say that won't make you seem self-centered or narcissistic (though there are differences between the two). You never want to feel like you're putting others down, and if this phrase is being said to you, you can offer the following replacements as alternatives to your partner, friend, or family member. If they don't accept the alternatives, it may mean there's a deeper issue that needs to be addressed.

If someone is feeling down on their luck, the phrase "Everything happens for a reason" can be useful. Instead of implying that the person speaking could predict the future, it implies that it's in the hands of the universe (if that's something the other person believes in). It could provide comfort to a person in a time of need rather than leaving them feeling blindsided.

Or, perhaps someone is feeling like they should've been able to predict an outcome but are feeling down because they didn't. Instead of "I knew it all along," one could try "No one can predict the future." This could serve as a comforting reminder that any outcome could've been viable, and when said with a hug or a pat on the back, it should show the other person that the speaker is in their corner no matter what. But again, all of this only matters if the speaker is willing to turn their communication red flag into a green one.