I suppose your bond with your husband is really strong and thats why you don’t have fears about your importance to him.

However you want to be perceived as valuable to others. When they speak of other people fondly, it makes you feel like your value is being put into question. In other words you are personalising their view point though in reality they aren’t even comparing in any way. It’s you who is comparing.

To know how to cope with this, you need to understand why you feel this need to compete with for people you hardly know?

Is it because of the way things were when you were growing up where you felt alone and undervalued?

Do you struggle with poor self image? Do you feel like you have nothing good to offer as a person to them?

Do you have this belief that if they talk of others, they indirectly mean you are less important and your values are less so?

Usually this mild possessiveness is seen in very close friendships and romantic relationship but when it happens in every day interactions, it’s a sign of poor self worth. The healthier internal talk should be “they are great and so am I” rather than “oh no, they are so great and gosh, I suppose I am not, no one would talk so well of me”

What do you think?