Why can't they stop talking about themselves?

You go on a first date. He/she starts talking…

Date #1: Hi, my name is Bagel. Oh, I see you went to business school? You know, when I was in b-school, I went on this amazing trip to Italy with my classmates….It was so nice that I seriously considered staying behind and working as a waiter at a local restaurant…. but then I realized that my family depends on me ….. and so, I decided to get back on track…… me, me, me, me, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME!

Sounds familiar? Such narcissistic behavior is a big turn-off, right?

Yet, this article from TIME reveals that your bagel can’t help him/herself. In an experiment with an fMRI scan, researchers found that sharing personal information led to activity in the reward areas of the brain — the same ones that are engaged in response to rewards like sex and food.

So next time, you run into such bagel, give that “Mr./Ms. Me” a second chance. He or she might just be nervous and in need of feeling good.