We all have that friend who can’t help but brag about all the great things that are going on in their life...every time we see them. And while those people are annoying, it turns out there’s an entirely different group of people that get to folks even more.
According to a new study, while nobody really likes a bragger, most people hate a humblebragger even more. You know that person who has perfected the way of bragging about something great in their life while still trying to appear modest in the process.
Researchers out of Harvard and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill asked 646 people to track instances of humblebragging in their life and how they felt about it. Overall, volunteers reported that social media posts featuring a humblebrag were the most insincere, with complaining and outright bragging scoring higher for believability and sincerity.
What’s more, participants considered a comment that contains some sort of boast along with humility-based comment the worst and most annoying type of humblebrag. For instance when someone claims to have just rolled out of bed and look bad, yet they are still getting hit on.
- As the researchers note, “These findings offer initial evidence that the more individuals are perceived to use humblebragging the more they come across as less likeable, sincere and competent.” Amen to that!
Source: New York Post