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"High self-monitors are social chameleons"

eyedogg

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Gentleman,

VERY interesting article today on Yahoo news regarding what some can describe as PUA or DJ's in regards to some of the social behaviors they (pua & dj's) use.

What to you think?

-eyedogg


Link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience...usypartners;_ylt=Aju9iG5y5qh1vVw.1uJ4ggCzvtEF

Article:
Why Perfect Dates Make Lousy Partners LiveScience Staff

LiveScience.com
Tue Feb 12, 10:46 AM ET



The best "catches" in dating land may be the worst choices in the long-run, new research shows.


Popular people who monitor themselves carefully in social situations and thereby appear to be the most socially appropriate are often highly sought after as romantic partners, a study finds, but these people show less satisfaction and commitment in relationships than socially-awkward people.


By self-monitoring, people assess how their actions affect others and adjust to fit the appropriateness of the situation. They screen their words and behavior to suit the people around them.


"High self-monitors are social chameleons," said Northwestern University professor of communication studies Michael E. Roloff."And, because they're quick to pick up on social cues, are socially adept and unlikely to say things upsetting to others, they are generally well-liked and sought after."


Self-monitoring is often a helpful attribute.


"Research finds [self-monitors] to be excellent negotiators and far more likely to be promoted at work than their low self-monitoring peers,” Roloff said.


But there’s a downside for high self-monitors when it comes to their romantic relationships.


"High self-monitors may appear to be the kind of people we want to have relationships with, but they themselves are less committed to and less happy in their relationships than low self-monitors," Roloff said.


The problem seems to be that they can't turn the self-monitoring off.


"The desire to alter one's personality to appropriately fit a given situation or social climate prevents high self-monitors from presenting their true selves during intimate interactions with their romantic partners," Roloff said. "High self-monitors are very likeable and successful people. However, it appears they’re just not deep."


Roloff and co-authors Courtney N. Wright and Adrienne Holloway conducted a study of 97 single young adults to investigate the effects of self-monitoring on romantic relationships. The results will be detailed in the journal Communication Reports.


The researchers surveyed study participants about the levels of emotional commitment in their romantic relationships and assessed their degrees of self-monitoring, intimate communication, levels of emotional commitment, relational satisfaction and relational commitment.


They did not survey the partners of study participants. "That may be something we eventually should look at," Roloff said.


High self-monitors seem to avoid face-threatening interactions and honest self-disclosure. Thus partners of these people may be completely in the dark about the extent of their significant other’s degree of commitment and regard.


"It's not that high self-monitors are intentionally deceptive or evil," Roloff said. "They appear to have an outlook and way of achieving their goals that makes them attractive to us socially but that prevents them from being particularly happy or loyal in their romantic relationships."


Conversely, the researchers found that low self-monitors — people who are the least concerned with social appropriateness and are unlikely to mask their feelings or opinions to avoid confrontation or preserve their self-image — are more committed to and more satisfied with their relationships.


Those awkward people who always seem to be sticking their feet in their mouths may ultimately be more genuine and capable of intimate relationships. However, their honesty and loyalty can extract a price from their partners, because they may be more likely to say blunt and hurtful things.


Fortunately, Roloff said, self-monitoring is normally distributed, so most people end up with a partner who falls somewhere in the middle. A person who moderately self-monitors may have great social skills and the ability to be unguarded with their partner when necessary.
 

LoneSilver

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It seems to me what I get out of this article is a self monitor is a ass kisser or as some say brown nose and someone not really being themselves and how happy can one be trying to be an ALL people pleaser.

LoneSilver
 

eyedogg

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LS - I kinda got that from the article too. I think the message I can take from it is "people can notice fakeness" and "fakeness can only take you so far".

So - FIND YOURSELF. BE TRUE. BE A MAN!
 

KontrollerX

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Makes sense.

I know a guy who is a natural born DJ.

I asked him how he was so good with people once and figuring them out and he said "I'm a people watcher" and basically told me that he picks up on little things people do that lets him know what kind of person they are so he can react and respond accordingly.
 

mrRuckus

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eyedogg said:
I think the message I can take from it is "people can notice fakeness" !

If they're noticing fakeness, then why does the article say these "high self monitors" are so well liked?

And it says that the high monitors aren't causing their partner to not want them.. but rather they themselves aren't as committed.

So it looks to me like everyone likes these people and are blind to the fakeness, mostly because their fakeness is so engrained from a lifetime of doing it and matching all situations that they don't even realize they're doing it.
 

MacAvoy

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I consider myself a social chamelion. I wouldn't consider myself naturally outgoing, loud or boisterous. What I do is, when I enter a room, I mimick it back, but not quite to the same degree, a lay a little low to get a feel, then I treat people the way they are treating others in the room. I'm not explaining myself well but you get the drift.

Its about adjusting to the crowd whether its a loud boisterous party, a boardroom, or academics. You have to connect with people on their level. Its quite simple and if your genuine, your not faking it even though you really are.
 

mackdaddy27

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eyedogg said:
Gentleman,

VERY interesting article today on Yahoo news regarding what some can describe as PUA or DJ's in regards to some of the social behaviors they (pua & dj's) use.

What to you think?

-eyedogg


L
"The desire to alter one's personality to appropriately fit a given situation or social climate prevents high self-monitors from presenting their true selves during intimate interactions with their romantic partners," Roloff said. "High self-monitors are very likeable and successful people. However, it appears they’re just not deep."

y.
Rock, stock and barrel
 

KarmaSutra

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It's important to be a student of human moves and motives. Since I was in high school I would eavesdrop on people's conversations intentionally. I would go to the airport, to a library, coffee shop; anyplace where people congregate so I could surrepticiously listen in on what's going on.

This did two wonderful things:

1. I heard real dialogue which honed my writing skills and kept the narrative possibilities wide open.

2. It gave me an insight into who people are when they've significant others weren't around and I saw them in a true light.

I did not take names down or make any judgements and never passed on any information which I'd heard.

You have to be able to have such a keen outer locus and pickup on those subliminal nuances in order to be a good judge of character.
 

jophil28

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LoneSilver said:
It seems to me what I get out of this article is a self monitor is a ass kisser or as some say brown nose and someone not really being themselves and how happy can one be trying to be an ALL people pleaser.

LoneSilver
Yeah that is about what this aricle says-

"Polished insincerity " is another term that fits the description of high self monitoring, but like most contrived behavior it has a limited effective life and is ultimately self defeating when the facade eventually drops.
Once again, beware of those who practise this "craft ". A significant number of them will be BPD and/or NPD or sociopathic.
 
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decades

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makes sense. having a narcissist for your partner will drive you nuts.
 

bigjohnson

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mackdaddy27 said:
Rock, stock and barrel
Um, yeah, lock on.

As for the article I didn't see the self monitoring people as fake so much as perceptive. Who they are *IS* a person who tries to adeptly fit into any given situation. If they tried to be more blunt then they wouldn't be themselves.
 

bornyesterday

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MacAvoy said:
I consider myself a social chamelion. I wouldn't consider myself naturally outgoing, loud or boisterous. What I do is, when I enter a room, I mimick it back, but not quite to the same degree, a lay a little low to get a feel, then I treat people the way they are treating others in the room. I'm not explaining myself well but you get the drift.

Its about adjusting to the crowd whether its a loud boisterous party, a boardroom, or academics. You have to connect with people on their level. Its quite simple and if your genuine, your not faking it even though you really are.
I understand where you're coming from. And I admire your honesty.

Do you feel you are in touch with yourself or do you feel a little bad after you have done that?
Are you envious of the people that always seem to be themselves, to be the same and feeling fine about what they seem to be? Or do you find it does not hurt your ego and it makes you relaxed?

Personally I succumb to social pressure many times (it's everywhere and it's hard to ignore) and I dislike myself when it happens. I feel I lose power. What's your attitude?
 

B L Zebub

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Yes they are fake

bigjohnson said:
Um, yeah, lock on.

As for the article I didn't see the self monitoring people as fake so much as perceptive. Who they are *IS* a person who tries to adeptly fit into any given situation. If they tried to be more blunt then they wouldn't be themselves.
I should know, I married one. She mimicked all my likes and dislikes to get me to fall for her, but ultimately almost none of it was really her. She does that with pretty much everyone to get them to like her, it's what she thinks she needs to do to get people to like her, to be who she thinks they want her to be. So after a little over 9 years of marriage, just like the article states, I find out she is deeply unhappy (and for a long time) because all of the things she pretended to like to get into the relationship she actually doesn't like at all and what seemed like a relationship with amazing compatibility has almost no compatibility at all.

And she is one of the best 'actresses' I have ever seen. I never suspected that she was faking her likes and dislikes, and neither did any of my friends or family, but over years of watching her interact with other people it's obvious how she functions but she will fight in denial about not liking something until you can prove to her that you know for a fact that she doesn't like it.

Trust me, the article is right, high self monitors might make for great short term relationships, but long term ones are ultimately doomed because high self monitors are not capable of being honest about who they are, what they are about, or when they unhappy until it is too late in the relationship.
 

KontrollerX

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I read the article more thoroughly and basically its describing people with Cluster B Personality Disorders to the letter or people that don't quite fit the Cluster B criteria but have narcissistic tendencies or sociopathic skill at reading people even if they're normal in every other way.

B L Zebub my second girlfriend who had Histrionic Personality Disorder (before I finally stopped my path of self destruction) was a passive aggressive type of it and describes your wife perfectly. Histrionics are consumate actresses and the passive aggressive type avoids conflict of any type as much as they possibly can so gets people to like them by just going along with whatever you and everyone else that is important to them likes they are so afraid of being rejected. This of course builds up in them a quiet resentment of you and others that they interact with which they blame you for when and if they break contact with you. They are almost completely illogical and extremely selfish.
 

bigjohnson

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B L Zebub said:
Trust me, the article is right, high self monitors might make for great short term relationships, but long term ones are ultimately doomed because high self monitors are not capable of being honest about who they are, what they are about, or when they unhappy until it is too late in the relationship.
I never said otherwise, all i'm saying is the whole "be yourself" crowd should think it through a few more steps, because these people ARE being themselves.
 

The Bat

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It's interesting to note that high self-monitors are easily manipulated. I had a plate that was textbook passive-aggressive personaltiy. She would find everyone funny, to some degree, smart, entertaining, and fun to hang around. At first, I thought she was just extremely optimistic but then I realized that she's too afraid of rejection. Alas, a friend of hers manipulated her so bad that she became exclusive with someone that is totally opposite of guys that she is usually interested in. So, high self-monitoring girls are relatively easy to lay? From my experience, I would pick "yes" every single time.
 

ketostix

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I'm not questioning that being a social chameleon works to get people to like you for a certain period of time at least. But it seems to me woman's nature would be more of a chameleon, and men should be the one with a stronger frame and make her bend to it. Isn't that what I often hear repeated on here, to be the man and to not bend to others' frame?
 

bigjohnson

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I think that's an oversimplification. I suspect that a lot of very manipulative and successful people I know would fall under the "high self monitor" moniker.
 

ezilonman

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This is a good thread... I am not looking at it for the "Social Chameleon" part but for the TYPES of social chameleons out there.

Cluster B personalities - right on

Histrionic and a few others were mentioned already.

Much like Histrionic, Borderline personalities are very similar except they tend to be wiser (AKA: They suck more emotional blood) than Histrionics because Borderlines tend to be more aware of what they are (which is why they often dislike themselves).

GUESS WHAT - this dislike is projected onto you.


When you make her happy - she will morph to become whatever she thinks you want her to be. She will tell you anything...anything.

Then - when she becomes frustrated - the tables turn. She will say/do anything to get the best of you. Because she knows what you like/dislike she will contradict her previous actions/words just to tear into you.

It is a hellish ordeal... the hotter she is...oh the ****ing worse it is

And it keeps repeating...
will you please complete me?


RUN!!!
 

bsthatcher

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I read this article.

My first thought was, "No ****, sherlock. Game-players aren't going to be as emotionally intimate. It required an entire article to say that?"
 
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