Whoever started this trend of humble bragging needs to take the shit back and bury it where it can never be found again.
I know a few people whose self-obsession is off the charts, who also happen to be the type to act like idiot college kids 20 years or more after most have grown out of that phase. Maybe it’s insecurity. Who knows? At least once a day I hear them say, or read tweets or updates about how they don’t mean to talk about how awesome they are, but damn they’re awesome!
“I sure am out of shape! I only managed 30 miles on the bike this morning in the freezing rain, riding uphill into the wind the whole way!”
"Who knew maintaining a fabulous 4,000 square foot home with a pool would be so exhausting?’
“I’m really tired of all these girls hitting on me! I just want to be left alone.” on facebook, posting from a bar known as a pick-up place.
Maybe not a humble brag, but a brag on the sly- mentioning something that happened in an exotic vacation spot, and saying “It wasn’t me; I won’t be there until next week!”
SHUT UP. I don’t care! You are a narcissistic baby and not everyone wants to hear about how fucking super you are, especially when you try to act like that’s not what you’re doing! I don’t buy for one minute that you are trying to be humble, jerk.
I think some people actually believe that they have problems when they just completely don’t, and don’t understand that other people *do *have real problems. It’s not necessarily sneak bragging. It might just be a matter of being completely out of touch.
I saw an interview once with the Nobel-winning physicist Murray Gell-Mann (the guy who coined the term “quark”). He was talking about depression and suicide. He said that he had wanted to kill himself once, as a young man, when he wasn’t admitted to Harvard. He ended up having to attend MIT instead. But that turned out pretty great. So depressed people should cheer up, because maybe things will turn out OK.
Yeah, well, thanks, Murray. You seem sincere. I know you’re just trying to help. But now I *really *want to kill myself.
If I put a round sticker with “0.5” on my car’s back window as proof that I have run a mini-mini-mini-mini-mini marathon, is that a humble enough brag?
She will:
I’ve been shopping all day and I’m tired. It’s exhausting to find the perfect jeans to highlight my long legs and spectacular ass!
I want one of those 0.5 stickers!
One of the jackholes I had in mind does have a 52.4 one on his car, of course.
I don’t begrudge his efforts to stay in shape and exercise, which are great. It’s that he can never do it without talking about his awesomeness, while trying to come off as modest. That doesn’t work.
I have no problem with 26.2ers, at least there’s the sense that they’re identifying themselves to a community they enjoy being members of (in fact, I said exactly those words to Scarlett Johannson recently).
I get what everyone is saying, and smug is annoying, but it also seems like there are things it’s okay to want to brag about. I don’t like bumper stickers, but if someone runs a marathon over the weekend, they should be proud of themselves, and I hope they do some to work Monday and tell people about it. I’ll be genuinely impressed.
Far and away, the least healthy social and work groups I’ve ever been part of were the ones where no one was allowed to talk about anything good, because that was bragging and just made everyone else feel bad. So all anyone talks about is how shitty things are, and how stupid their boss/mom/spouse/co-worker/roommate is, and how pointless and useless everyone and everything is and how they just can’t wait until Friday/retirement/summer whatever. Those environments are vastly more depressing, and they emerge whenever people who are proud of themselves get squashed.
The healthiest environments I’ve ever been in were ones in which everyone felt like they were respected by others, and their achievements were noted. The problem isn’t people who brag, or “humblebrag”. The problem is people who do this but also never go out of their way to note or celebrate the achievements of others. That’s the real arrogance, and that’s what I get annoyed by.
I do so wish I had a layer of fat down there to make sitting in wooden chairs tolerable, but as it is it’s like solid oak against solid oak and it hurts!
See, I think “humblebrag” is much more fun and descriptive a term than “false modesty” – though YM obviously Vs. And tomorrow, when I will be giving a little presentation to the editors of the OED, I plan to share that thought with them…though since I have only three hours and there’s a lot to cover, it’s possible I’ll have to wait till the presentation scheduled for the following week.
Bragging and humblebragging are two different things. Bragging can be a pain if its excessive or in the wrong context, but humblebragging is always annoying.
The people in the OP could have shared their joy without turning it into a complaint:
“Wow! I really got in a good workout on my bike this morning.”
“I’m really enjoying having a enough space in my house to enjoy [whatever hobby I like]. And the pool has made it much easier to exercise.”
“Hey, this bar is really fun. I’m meeting a lot of really cool people.”
(Apparently I can fix any humblebrag by adding the word “really”.)
I don’t mind bragging. Any of the things you said would be fine, and allow me to comment and maybe have a conversation with the person. When you say it the other way, it’s much harder for me to think of something nice to say back atcha without agreeing, and reinforcing, the self-backpat.
The line between humble bragging and first world problems can be fuzzy. Imagine the stuff you regularly complain about being read by an African villager. Oh no, the store ran out of your favorite potato chips? You think you paid out the nose at the auto repair place? Susan in accounting is a total bitch? The video game you’ve been looking forward to has been delayed? Do go on.
Sometimes it’s not humble bragging, at least on purpose. Like someone complaining about the service in first class. It’s possible they want to show off, but it’s pretty probable they’re legit pissed and want to tell you about it. Everyone is in their own bubble.
