[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e talk to people every day. If you have healthy social life then you should be having conversations with multiple people throughout your already busy day. This is a good thing and I don't think anyone should condone it; privacy and alone time is, however, vital as well and there's a balance to be found. When you actually talk to people though, what is it about? Do you ask them questions about their lives and not constantly talk about yourself or what you are up to? Do you wait for a question to be asked before speaking or simply express no interest in their lives and brusquely move on to yours? Most importantly, do you redirect nearly every conversation to be centered on yourself?
A few weeks back, I found myself doing exactly these things. One of my friends confronted me, hinting that it doesn't help any person's social record, so to speak, when he is constantly talking about himself. People need to know that you care about them, not just that you want to tell them about how amazing your day was. You're their friend to be supportive and not selfish. I'm not saying that you can't tell people about your problems once in a while, just that you need to express more interest in other people's lives than your own. Even if it sounds risky, emotionally absurd, or boring, get involved in what they have to say and what their life is currently comprised of. Show that you care who they are in this world. People don't live on constantly being forsaken, nor do they enjoy simply being tolerated.
I don't care if you think other people's lives are boring. Maybe after you express a little artificial interest you'll begin to enjoy being altruistic. Sit back and listen to what people have to say to you; stop trying to be the center of every conversation, whether it's in a group of one-to-one. Should things need acknowledging, nod and "ah" when needed. Don't use an inessential amount of "yeah" accompanied with "I know what you mean". That may seem like something fine to you, but it doesn't really show the person much respect. If your fellow converser asks you a question, feel free to speak, but don't find some way to exploit that speaking moment in your favor.
Lastly, stop checking your mobile phone every twenty seconds for the message you know you're not going to get! (Unless of course you're expecting something, in which case I recommend all the more to stay away from your device and have some patience.) The person who's talking to you is going to think you have ADD or are simply uninterested in what he has to say and that's no good a'tall. This is quite disrespectful. Be sure to give your full attention to anyone your talking with, lest you'll find yourself pulling out your phone by habit during a truly important discussion.