LW2 I have a friend of more than 35 years who does the same thing.  We met in college in the same academic department. He has always been jealous of me and my accomplishments, and this is recognized by our mutual friends. For years I've been frustrated because our conversations always turn back to the few subjects he is interested in, and our mutual friends see this also.  He shows very little interest in me, but when I mention something about my life, he always has a better story.  When I've tried to talk to him about it, he denies he does this.  Two years ago he stopped talking to me for 7 months, and he has never explained why.  Recently I said I found a centipede in my apartment and he said he found a millipede in his!  This made me realize he would never change.  Now I call him once a month for 20 minutes rather than the 2-3 times a week we usually chatted.  Maybe it is harsh, but I won't spend hours in conversation with anyone who has no interest in me, even after all these years