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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Family & RelationshipsFriends · 5 days ago

I feel like my cousin is stealing my life and friends. Is it wrong for me to be angry/annoyed and how might I approach her about how I feel?

My cousin and I have been close since we were little. I am older than her by two years and we always seem to be interested in the same things. Around two years ago I began to notice the pattern of me taking an interest in something and then a few months later her taking up the same interest and getting praised by our family about her new interest. This had been going on for years but I had only just realized how it slightly annoyed me. I know that for us to be so close it’s obvious that we would be interested in some of the same things. The thing that annoys me though is how she has no interests of her own and then takes all of my interests (no joke...every single one..tv shows, movies, books, bands/singers, actors/actresses, youtubers, etc) a few months later and then gets adored by her parents and our grandparents for her many interests and then receives gifts and praise while I  have to suck it up and not say anything. She has even begun to talk to my some of my friends (who she’s only met once) and she acts like she knows them very well and like they are very close. And even though I have spoken with my friends about how I feel, they always seem to take her side during our mostly playful banter on the group chat (that they continuously add her to despite knowing that I would rather her not be in there) and then act as though I’m being rude and a bully. Should I be annoyed and kind of angry at my cousin for doing these things for years? Or am I overreacting??

2 Answers

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  • P.L.
    Lv 7
    4 days ago

    Tell her that you are really FLATTERED that she likes to do exactly what you do.  If she sees that you are taking her actions as a compliment she's more likely to stop doing so.

  • 5 days ago

    I’d take it as a compliment that your cousin looks up to you.  It sounds like you’re partly irritated and partly jealous that your grandparents might prefer her to you and that your friends might.  I think they’re just being friendly to your cousin and that maybe your grandparents prefer your cousin to you, since you ask.  I’d say accept what you can’t change and be happy that you’re so close to your cousin.  Most of us aren’t and I wish I was close enough to mine that we competed with and got jealous of each other.

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