When we were children, we always spoke negatively about the classmate who bragged. We didn’t like how they presented themselves because they seemed to undermine our successes. We felt like our skills didn’t matter because everything was ultimately about the kid who wasn’t humble.
However, over time, it seemed like bragging became more acceptable.
I noticed that some of the most well-liked kids in my high school bragged often. Then in college, everyone started bragging. Whenever anyone landed an internship, they posted about it on social media. And when we all graduated and began our first entry-level jobs, we saw lots of LinkedIn posts about how exciting others’ new positions would be.
Why did bragging become so acceptable? How could we now condone the same behaviour that we once condemned?
The times I felt most like bragging were the moments when I felt like others didn’t see or hear me.
I didn’t have many friends, so to gain validation, I shared my achievements with others. However, I later realized that this behaviour was unhealthy. The more I bragged, the more I decided that I had to put on a façade. I had to hide everything that was wrong just so that I could impress others with how “good” my life looked.
The reality was that my classmates bullied me and my teachers belittled me. I often felt empty, but I didn’t want to think of myself that way. Eventually, hiding my struggles caused me to feel shame, but to this day, I never let on how I really feel.
Why can’t we all just be more humble?
No matter how much we achieve, we all will experience struggle and loss. For instance, we may know someone who landed an amazing job and is making positive change, but what if they lose their job? They may feel like they’re no longer capable or will never find success again. The mindset that we must be “great” all the time to impress others can quickly become toxic.
When we brag about what we have, we often begin to think about what we wish we had. But if we focus on what we don’t have, we can’t be grateful for the good parts of our lives.
Some of the people who brag the most may eventually lose everything. The successes that we’re the most proud of may not last forever, so we should always stay humble.
Featured Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash.
