Being a braggart is never a good look, and it’s a sure way to drive people away. The better action is always to let your work do the talking.
Yet, some people still boast about their abilities or, as in this story, their IQ test results. A man who happened to score high on an online test decided to rub it in everyone’s faces every chance he got.
It all came to a head after one of his friends called him out, sending him back down to earth. You will find the entire text below.
There is no upside to being a braggart
Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)
A man scored high on an online IQ test and began rubbing it in every chance he had
Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)
Brian got a harsh reality check one day, courtesy of one of his friends
Image credits: Wonderful-Trash4456
Bragging is self-gratification without providing value in return
“People who boast about their IQ are losers.” This quote was from the late Stephen Hawking when someone asked him about his IQ during a New York Times interview in 2004. He is regarded as one of human history’s most brilliant theoretical physicists, so his numbers are likely up there.
Hawking may have been harsh in his description, but a study has shown that people who lack intellectual humility also lack the ability to discriminate between actual and fictitious concepts.
Elizabeth Krumrei Mancus, a Pepperdine University psychology professor and one of the study’s authors, explains that intellectual humility allows a person to process more general information, which means they have a higher level of knowledge.
She told PsyPost that recognizing intellectual fallibility “may free people from egotistical concerns about their intellectual correctness.” This allows people to explore and learn without the mental burden and pressure to be right or wrong.
Image credits: cookie_studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Meanwhile, bragging is a form of self-promotion, which, according to Brown University psychology professor Dr. Joachim Krueger, isn’t inherently wrong. However, he recognizes that such behavior is also gratuitous.
“It seeks applause from the audience without offering anything in return,” Dr. Krueger wrote in an article for Psychology Today, adding that bragging without creating value is a sign that “it is time to pump the brakes.”
However, a person who enjoys “flexing” their attributes likely won’t realize their problematic behavior unless someone points it out. This is why licensed psychologist Dr. Jameca Woody Cooper recommends being direct.
“Telling them is going to help them and you,” Dr. Cooper told Sisters From AARP. “You’ll have to either keep pushing until you get them to modify their behavior, or you’ll have to ultimately accept it if you want a relationship with the person.”
The author resorted to delivering a sick burn when Brian got out of hand with his bragging. It was a harsh and direct hit to the ego, something warranted at the time.
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