To begrudge (certain) others success?

[moutonfou]

There are some lovely people in my life I wouldn't begrudge anything. If they got a lucky break or achieved something, I'd think 'good for them, they really deserve it'.

However I have one acquaintance who is queen of, at best, the humble brag, and at worst, the all out brag. When she got a recent promotion she smugly informed us all that she would never settle for earning anything less than her age (e.g. 30 - 30k) thus making sure we knew exactly what her new salary was). When discussing her wedding plans in the presence of another bride-to-be who notoriously struggles with her weight, she smugly announced that she didn't even have to try to lose weight, it was 'just falling off'. And when running a sub-hour 10k on her first try she innocently pipes up: 'oh, is that fast? I didn't even know.'

I find myself begrudging her successes where I would never begrudge those of others, and it makes me feel I'm being brought down to her level.

How do you tame the green-eyed monster in these situations?

Childish I know but the stick phrase that goes through my head is 'I bet she's crap in bed though!'

"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

"Pride comes before a fall."

She's king of her particular hill now but no one knows what the future holds.

Just say to yourself, she'll get hers.

Sarcasm!

30k.... I wouldn't get out of bed for either a fiver or a million

Weight falling off "skinny colleague, where are you??? I can't seeeeee you. No, I can hear you, but I can't seeee you" (repeat irritatingly until she goes away

Laughing at her (in a good humoured, not a bullying way) will work well, because colleagues will join in. I'm NOT suggesting bullying her, because that would be nasty. But try and get in first. Eg if a colleague comes in and says they're pregnant, ask her if she's having triplets. Do a "knowing dig" that everyone can laugh at in a good humoured way. Hopefully she'll laugh at herself too.

She sounds like a total nightmare. People who brag like this are seeking validation in some way. Feel sorry for her neediness. Don't envy her.

Tell her she's going to find her retirement income awfully disappointing. Or beam in an annoyingly knowing way, cock your head and say 'Oh, that's a good one! Hey, everyone, Stephanie's thirty AGAIN!'

She's not that rich or that fast. Is she that thin?

Perhaps she's fed up of being poor unless she's ancient

These people are deeply insecure. That's why they behave like this. No normal, level headed, secure and well rounded person would say things like that because they would immediately recognise how wanky it would sound. Insecure people lack the ability to recognise the wankyness because their insecurity is governing them. You won't be the only one who notices it - you can't be popular if you're consistently wanky!