Proud people: these are the 7 traits they share
There are people who interpret life as if everything were a battle of egos. This has always happened, but in a context like the current one, in which both rivalry and appearances are highly valued elements, it is very common for this type of individuals to appear, educated to become this type. mode.
Proud people, in short, are easily rewarded by society, and that reinforces that style of behavior and personality.
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Typical characteristics of proud people
Next we will see what are the characteristics and traits of proud people that define them and distinguish them from the rest.
1. They deceive themselves
The haughty character of proud people has several costs, and one of the clearest is the need to maintain a false, inflated self-image. As a consequence, these individuals may take risks that are too high, or simply unaffordable, and therefore go through a series of totally avoidable hardships and difficulties.
For example, a father who meets this psychological characteristic may grant his daughter's request for build him a life-size wooden boat in a couple of weeks, despite not having done anything before similar.
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2. They have to say the last word
Both on and off social media, proud people feel the need to make it clear that they win every argument in which they participate. Sometimes this will be true, and the use they will make of their arguments will be appropriate to dialectically disarm their opponent... however, on other occasions they will have no choice but to stage a supposed victory that has never come to pass.
And what's the best way to make it look like you've won an argument when you really haven't? Easy: saying the last word. This pattern of behavior typical of proud people can give rise to surreal situations in which those who have begun to argue they lengthen the conversation by adding short phrases that do not contribute anything, trying to make their contribution the one that closes the debate.
Not only is this a clearly unfriendly attitude, but it greatly hinders the progress of any exchange of views. That is to say, it destroys the constructive potential of this type of dialogue.
3. It is difficult for them to ask for forgiveness
Offering an apology to others can be challenging. for proud people. It is not a simple problem of showing one's own imperfections to others, with the strategic risk and power imbalance that this implies in some conflicts. It is something that goes beyond the objective consequences of asking for forgiveness.
The issue is, rather, the discomfort caused by recognizing errors due to a self image very idealized. And the incongruence between an inflated self-concept and the recognition that a mistake has been made They are ideas that collide with each other, producing what in psychology is known as cognitive dissonance.
So, when circumstances arise that a proud person has to apologize, he does so through a staging, making it clear that it is not something spontaneous and honest, but something similar to a theater
- Related article: "Forgiveness: should I or should I not forgive the person who hurt me?"
4. They easily feel their ego threatened
For someone who places great importance on keeping his ego intact, life is a constant competition in which possible rivals constantly appear... even if they are not presented as such nor are they in an explicitly context competitive.
For example, as soon as they detect a person who excels in some quality in a way that someone may think that they are more skilled than them in a domain of life, this type of personality leads them to adopt a defensive attitude (not always openly hostile) and try to show off their own gifts and abilities.
5. They frequently talk about their past achievements
Proud people maintain their grandiose self-image, in part, by remembering those past experiences in which your skills shined or their special talents became evident. This is noted, for example, by forcing a change of topic in conversations so that the dialogue drifts towards what happened at certain moments in their past.
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6. They try to never ask for help
The myth of “the self-made person” is very strong in the mentality of proud people, who consider themselves something similar to an independent force. from the rest of the things that occur in nature, as if they were disconnected from the rest and everything they had achieved was solely through merit. own.
Thus, when the situation requires that others collaborate with their projects, they feel invaded and questioned, something that often leads them to adopt a defensive attitude.
7. They feel the will to be in control
For the markedly proud people, the social circles on which one has influence They are like an extension of one's own body, a place in which one must try to maintain a certain order and harmony in its functioning.
It is because of this logic of thought that, when something is detected that could threaten that stability, it is always viewed with suspicion. that there is a possibility that the power you have over some of those people (friends, family, etc.) will fade or be weaken.