Have you ever noticed a kid in a park getting jealous of another one? Just because their mother says a kind word to them or gives some praise? If not, then remember the kind of expression you see on your best friend’s face when some other person from your class tries to talk to you! Those weird things that your friend does to make themselves visible to you.
Attention seeking is a similar kind of behaviour that attracts the notice of people towards itself for validation or admiration. Generally, people take it as a normal desires of having a conversation and to establish deeper connections, like bonding with someone. However, these behaviours can have various deeper causes, such as feelings of loneliness and could symbolise low self-esteem among people. Attention seeking involves dramatic actions, exaggeration of simple things, provocative actions to be the centre of focus and stand out from all the other people that are present in that place.
While everyone among us tries to seek attention, sometimes unhealthy patterns can emerge from the unfulfilled emotional needs of a person, even childhood traumas can play a crucial role, and mental health conditions can play a significant role. These kinds of traits could be symptoms of ADHD (attention-deficient hyperactivity disorder) or Histrionic personality disorder.
Read More: Attention-Seeking Behaviour in Adults
Key Signs of Attention-Seeking Behaviour
1. Story Modification and Exaggeration
The symptoms of ADHD and histrionic personality are very simple and often disappear from the eyes of people in a normal conversation. These include exaggeration of simple content and modification of stories that will make them appear more dramatic when summarised in front of the listener.
2. Provocative behaviour
Attention seekers are likely to exhibit a provocative behaviour. The uttering of the kind of statements and sentences that will trigger those people around them and generate a response, which is a desired goal! However, it does not always give them a positive outcome. The provocative behaviour of attention seekers is not limited to just words; attire could also play a significant role when it comes to provocation. For example, one can’t wear a saffron Hindu saint’s attire in a mosque or vice versa, a burka in a temple!
Wearing shorts in the streets of a normal town in our nation will make a girl attract the attention of middle-aged women, firstly, before boys! Attire and costumes play an important role in the generation of a response from the audience.
3. Oversharing and bragging
Oversharing with other people about your thoughts and feelings, as well as your personal life, also comes under the act of attention seeking. Thus, some form of limitations needs to be set. What makes all this even worse is the act of bragging about your achievements, gain of power or wealth, or a constant highlight on your appearance. However, fortunately, your best friend doesn’t count here!
Exceptions are always there. Oversharing includes not just interpersonal communication with the second person but also the kind of content that you post on social media platforms and applications such as Instagram, Twitter, and even Snapchat.
4. Constant Need to Be the Centre
People need to understand that they are not the main character in everyone’s life, but only in their own! The constant urge to please everyone and be on their good list isn’t necessary; they can just be themselves, say what they want to or what they think, and present their opinions without hurting anyone. When I say without hurting anyone, it includes their own self too. This is what they call maintaining boundaries, and it’s a highly crucial thing for a peaceful life.
However, things like this are hard to digest for many. An attention seeker strives for attention and has a constant urge to be the talk of the town. Such people experience botheration when they come out of their illusions and see that the world does not revolve around them. This automatically results in a kind of behaviour that’s disruptive in nature and causes trouble.
5. Pretending or Forced Positivity
If a person is able to keep a smiling face during their tough times, it’s a powerful thing, as it depicts and reflects a super strong character. On the other hand, putting on a show of fake happiness makes a person appear no less than a joker! Therefore, people should refrain from such acts.
Conclusion
Someone who clings to you every day keeps on bragging about things that you do not want to hear, but it doesn’t make them shut up. Someone who cries for attention 24/7 a day and has started to appear in your nightmares, too. Especially has the habit of moulding the truth and provokes you to hit them in every possible way on earth. Make them aware of their superpowers, and enhance their behaviour. Also, help them to overcome such behaviour habits to build an image and a good personality that does not need validations and waits to be approved by people.
Reference +
Psychology study material for distance education students from Maharishi Dayanand University.
Mass Communication Book by Seema Hassan.
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