Have you ever heard a friend or relative bragging about their success in a complaining way? Yes, we often find this phenomenon in our daily social interactions.
Although it seems trivial, it turns out that this attitude is not liked by many people, you know! What is the explanation and how to avoid it? Let’s find out!
What Is Humble Bragging?
Humble bragging or better known as “humble to humble” is a way of bragging about yourself but disguised as complaining or humility. The term was coined by Harris Wittels, a comedy writer who wrote for shows including Parks and Recreation.
Perhaps the term humble bragging sounds familiar to some people. However, the practice of humble bragging itself is quite common in everyday life, especially in today’s social media era.
Here are some examples of humble bragging in everyday life.
- “Duh, it turns out I’m really wasteful. I just realized that this month I spent Rp5 million just to buy skincare”
- “I’m confused, many people comment on Instagram that I’m beautiful. Even though I look ordinary”
- “There are so many guys who DM me, I’m tired of replying”
- “Well, I only got a 90. It must be because I didn’t study last night”
- “How come you buy coffee so often? It’s expensive, I love it even though I make a big salary”
Causes Of Someone Doing Humble Bragging
According to a study released in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, there are several reasons why a person likes to “humble to humble”.
- To seek attention from people around
- To promote oneself
- Wanting to be respected by others
- Seeking validation
- Avoiding the embarrassment of speaking directly
Attitudes That People Don’t Like
While it may seem like a smart way to promote yourself, recent research shows that humble bragging actually turns people off. The same study found that humble bragging makes people less likable than outright bragging.
In the study, humble bragging was defined as “bragging masked by a complaint or humility”.
This research shows that others prefer people who dare to promote themselves sincerely rather than people who try to hide their successes behind complaints or humility.
How To Prevent Humble Bragging
Be Honest: Instead of humble bragging, why not share your achievements directly? It’s okay to occasionally talk about successes that have been achieved.
Use the Right Language: When talking about achievements, use positive and to-the-point language without the need to add words that show insincere humility.
Empathize with Others: When talking about yourself, don’t forget to consider the feelings of others. Avoid expressing achievements or successes in a way that could make others feel uncomfortable or unappreciated.
Add comment