Exaggeration

I value humility. I find it a very good trait, and I try to be as humble as possible. This is, of course, a direct result of a hatred for bragging.

I hate people who brag. Those who talk of how great they are, exaggerating every little detail, annoy me quite a bit. As a result, I realize how annoying it must be to others too. So, I try to avoid bragging.

I think that my humbleness can backfire, sometimes. For instance, sometimes my sense of humor or technical skill can impress a peer or otherwise. They then proceed to brag for me. Now, this has many reasons why it is bad.

Most people, when hearing about how so-and-so is good at something-or-another, will raise their expectations even more so than if this bragging was heard from the person himself/herself. You know, this person must really be good, if he/she impressed the messenger so much that the messenger must let everyone else know! Of course, when it comes down to actually showing off this person’s abilities, this poor humble person must now exceed the bragger’s description in order to prevent from looking like a bluffer.

There is also no control over how much this person brags about deeds that you may or may not have done, leading to the same trouble aforementioned.

In addition, if the person who hears the bragging can tell that this could not possibly be true, the messenger will not be the one who is “guilty” of bragging; rather, it is the innocent bystander.

Of course, there are those who don’t necessarily brag of themselves, but exaggerate in life. Much of what they say is an exaggeration. Any new discovery is the greatest thing they’ve ever seen. Any new food they taste is the most heavenly gift from God. On the other hand, anything they do not like is extremely bad. Nothing is ever neutral. It becomes rather difficult to discern the real from the fake. Basically, anything I hear from people like this I take with a grain of salt.

The next time you see me, please don’t indulge yourselves with any bragging of any form, whether they be about yourself, me, or any inanimate objects. Thank you.