My MIL, (whom I care for), has been doing this for many years so I don't know if it's part of dementia or just her personality, but I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced it.
After hearing someone state a fact, she will state the same fact and look for credit for it, pretending it's the first time it was said. For example, I said, 'Caravaggio painted that,' and seconds later she said, 'Didn't Caravaggio paint that?'. My mother said, 'Shakespeare died aged 52.' and she, having only caught the last words immediately said, 'I saw on the news someone died aged 52.'. My niece said, 'London has a new mayor.' She immediately said, 'Did you know London has a new mayor?' This is constant, everywhere and with everyone.
It's as if she doesn't want anyone else to get the credit, or she is desperate to show she already knew this fact and therefore she is just as clever. It is so blatantly obvious it baffles people, but mention to her someone just said this and her stock reply is, 'Oh did he/she? I didn't hear him/her.' Her smugness when she does this is infuriating. My husband and I just look at each other and laugh, but frustrated strangers sometimes argue with her, 'He/she just said that!', they'll say and become annoyed and then contemptuous when she insists she didn't hear.
What is going on here? Dementia? Or a vanity so overpowering it overrides the brain's ability to rationalise the obvious outcome of such ridiculous behaviour?
Buying a jumper the other day she said, 'I really like this colour.' I replied, 'Do you? I think it's a bit drab.' She immediately said, (as if nothing had been said prior), 'I hate this drab colour.'
As you say - like a bad comedy skit.
Or she'll do the opposite of what I tell her to do. I put her tithe in an envelope and said "put this in your purse so we give it to the deacon at church. Don't open it". I leave the room and hear paper hearing. Guess what? She opens the envelope.
Very frustrating. But often like a bad Abbott and Costello skit.
But maybe she has had mild dementia for longer than we think, and it could be short, (very short), term memory loss. Maybe it goes into her brain, but she can't remember she heard it from someone else and thinks she thought of it.
She is with it on so many levels, (has a laptop, is active on Facebook and emails everyone), it makes it hard to believe she can't see what a fool it makes her look. And it's not just one statement that she'll repeat, she sometimes repeats a whole dialogue two people at the table have just shared - always seeking praise for her knowledge.
My sig other does that to me too, freqflyer, but I know he hasn't been listening. But he never does it to anyone else, just me!