We have all met, at some point in our lives, people who are extremely vocal about their talents and abilities, their goals and dreams. The type of personality who loves nothing more but to voice to anyone within earshot, all the goals they’ve achieved and all the goals they’re currently pursuing. For those of us who make up their audience, it can be tiresome and annoying. It’s as if their egos are out of control; all we hear about is their successes and how wonderful they are at everything. There is nothing they cannot do. But how truthful are they? And is it a case of inflated ego? Are people who boast about their lives, in fact, hiding something?
Some people believe those who continually boast are plagued with doubt and insecurity. They are not the confident go-getters they wish us to believe. In fact, they may feel the complete opposite. In order to mask their inferiority and feel superior to others, they need to proclaim to the rest of the world how successful they are.
We’ve all been surprised when either a close friend or family member has achieved something momentous; and we didn’t even know they were attempting it. It could be they were training for a marathon or interviewing for a great new job; when they finally get around to telling us, it is the first we’ve heard of it because they’ve kept their goal a secret. This is not always a bad thing; by keeping our goals to ourselves it allows us to use the extra energy we would have spent on talking ‘big’ and focus it on actually accomplishing our goal.
It also works the opposite way; when someone is consistently talking about completing a marathon and never starts training we begin to see the person as someone who never follows through on their word. We do not trust what they tell us because nothing ever eventuates from all their talk.
Perhaps some people feel intimidated with others, so they talk about all their successes like life is a competition. In the end, the only competition we are in is with ourselves; if we don’t take action but sit around and talk, talk, talk, then obviously nothing will happen. Betrayal of self is one of the worst kinds of disappointment, because there is no-one to blame but yourself. No-one is interested in excuses.
Humility is an attractive trait. If we are truly gifted or talented, if we finally accomplish a major goal, then the results will speak for themselves. There is no need to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves or boost our image in the eyes of others as most people are able to see through our feeble attempts at superiority.
Talking is easy; it requires minimal effort, just the ability to do so and a vivid imagination. Taking action is much more challenging; it requires maximum effort and the ability to persevere. It’s obvious why so many prefer the former option when you don’t have to try so hard.
Perhaps we can become more aware of the times we find ourselves unconsciously bragging and flaunting our success or talent. Investigating why we do so may bring us closer to our authenticity and the freedom it affords. There is peace in being comfortable with ourselves and not trying to desperately impress others.
