AIBU to find the 'one upmanship' irritating?

[Supermagicsmile]

There is a colleague (A) at work who I have to work with on a daily basis. I like her and we get on we'll but I find her need to be better frustrating. I know people say these things often stem from insecurity but it doesn't seem that way in this situation!

I try not to react but some other colleagues try to 'compete' which doesn't help! E.g. Someone will say they are doing a first aid course. A will then ask who with/which one and of course the one she did means she's MORE qualified and her course was MUCH better.
Another colleague (B) did the same course as her with the same company but they had different trainers and of course A's trainer was FAR superior to B's. It can by any topic at all and A will have done it better/know more than you do/ have a better solution etc

These women are in their 30s and 40s but I feel like I'm working with teenage girls!

Any tips on dealing with this? Their line manager isn't bothered as she's in her own private office and doesn't have to hear about it constantly!

Ignore them?

Go even better than her but ridiculous?
She's done first aid training, so? You're actually a fully trained doctor! AND you qualified when you were just 14.
I don't think I'd be brave enough to actually do this but it would be fun to do in my head when she's one upping, may make it more tolerable.

She's going on holiday somewhere better than where you're going? Well actually you're a honorary citizen of where she's going. You fancied going somewhere different as the people all love you there and you would just LOVE to be able to pay for your own drink at the bar for once.

At least it's not just you who has noticed it. I think you will just have to have as little to do with her as possible and try to stay out of it when she goes off again about herself.

Or, I rather like sarah's suggestion, you could do some gentle winding up, with a smile and see if your colleague cops on that she's being a pain.

I had an aunt X like this - whatever it was, she would just have to top it.
My mother was once telling me about an acquaintance who had some rare disease. My father instantly said, Don't tell X - she'll know someone who's had it twice. lol.

I could send my fil to work there because everything he does is better than anyone else nobody could possibly compete she would get a taste of her own medicine

My next door neighbor was like this over children's toys.
I got 3 toys once, the "I want it for xmas " ones cost me £8 each as saw it while on Amazon, opened checked it and left it on the side, DD saw it was so chuffed as everyone wanted it, this was a week before xmas, so she then tells her friends she knows Santa will bring it, not telling me she had seen them.
Next door paid £80 each , just so her own DD could say" I got it as well"
I had no idea she was this bad, until 3 years ago my DD now leaving school told me she used to tell her friends mum she was thinking of buying something, just so the mum would go and buy it so her child had it first. I would then ask her at birthdays do you want X and she would say "oh no next door got it weeks ago and now I have played with it so don't want that.."
So if she is let her play keeping up with the Jones. and smile at how much it will cost her

It is insecurity, she feels like shit inside.

I would be tempted to do a vague but earnest head-tilt, and say, in a very neutral tone of voice, verging on consternation: "Why do you always feel the need to go one better?"

I had a friend like this once, she'd always been there, done that bigger and better than anyone else etc. She even followed me when I moved to another country just so she could brag about having gone too. Couldn't have me going somewhere and doing something she hadn't could she. We fell out when some mutual friends came to visit and she was acting like a show off/know-it-all in the city I lived in (even though she lived over 2 hours away and had never been to this city before - she lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere). Apparently I also said something that made her feel insecure about her relationship - but the truth is it's something she couldn't one up me on so she was just clearly pissed off!

I had a friendship for 30yrs like this! Only advice is to ignore, nod and smile or just simply say that's great, prevents conversation from continuing about their brilliance as they will always be the greater one, learn to ignore & remember your own self worth because they try take that as well. I.e your birthday will be all about them etc.

They start young as I've seen it from school runs. DS comes out proud to tell me he won colouring competition, when along comes little Johnny saying Mine was better and would of won had put it in, same kid who cries if doesn't win.

See playground shit continues into adulthood

I've been in a similar situation before OP, only mine was much more irritating than yours.

One of my friends is like this - it would be easier to deal with if I thought it came from a place of insecurity, but actually, I think she genuinely does think she and her dh and two adult dc are better looking, cleverer, more talented, and just generally better than everyone else. She's not insecure at all, she's incredibly smug and can be quite bitchy with it!
I tend to just try and ignore when she gets like that, as obviously, she has other redeeming features, and we've been friends for decades.

I've been in a similar situation before OP, only mine was much more irritating than yours.

Ha ha ha that took me a minute to get!

Sarah I'm dying

You have my sympathies OP.
I have one. If you've been to Tenerife she's been to Elevenarife.

I'm trying to think of some funny responses for when she's back from her holiday on Monday.

Where's she gone, Elevenerife?

Has she got a black cat?

When she tell you how warm it was, so OH yes we had that too DURING the day, but UK is so good that it cools down at night so you can get a full nights sleep.