Boasting

"Boast", "Bragging Rights", and "Show Off" redirect here. For other uses, see Boast (disambiguation) and Bragging Rights (disambiguation). For the SoMo song, see Show Off (song).

Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.

Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves their superiority and is recounting accomplishments so that others will feel admiration or envy.[1]

Individuals construct an image of themselves, a personal identity, and present themselves in a manner that is consistent with that image.[2] Theodore Millon theorized that in self-presentation, individuals seek to balance boasting against discrediting themselves with excessive self-promotion or being caught blatantly misrepresenting themselves. Studies show that people often have a limited ability to perceive how their efforts at self-presentation are actually impacting their acceptance and likeability by others.[3]

  1. ^ Brown, Nina (2006). Coping with Infuriating, Mean, Critical People: The Destructive Narcissistic Pattern. ABC-CLIO. p. 66. ISBN 978-0313070402.
  2. ^ Schlenker, Barry R. (1980). Impression Management: The Self-Concept, Social Identity, and Interpersonal Relations. Monterey/California: Brooks/Cole.
  3. ^ Millon, Theodore (2003). Handbook of Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology. John Wiley & Sons. p. 337. ISBN 978-0471384045.