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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Humble bragging

290 replies

Feckingfeck · 03/05/2022 10:45

I have only come across this term on MN but i think I wintessed it first hand... whats it all about?

Family in lemur enclosure at zoo talking to keeper.

Keeper "you can get a little closer if you want"

Woman "we don't need too thanks we honey mooned in Madagascar so we have seen so many lemurs up close"

Keeper "oh okay, bet that was great"

Woman "it was amaaaazing... we could hear them all around our cabin at night aaaaahahahahhaha" (not sure why this was funny- but apparently it was hilarious)

Don't get me wrong I wasn't jealous in the slightest... nothing i would be creeped out by more than animals at night...

It just felt like one up man ship at its finest. I mean why go in there if you only want to belittle the experience Confused

Whats the worst humble brag you have witnessed?

OP posts:
Thepeopleversuswork · 04/05/2022 08:57

KimikosNightmare · 03/05/2022 16:18

That's just a brag.

A humble brag would be

“Olivia's best friend Waynetta is 8 today. We were mortified when Olivia asked Waynetta's mummy if Waynetta's birthday cake was home made with free range eggs, because Olivia never eats shop bought cake"

I have a friend whose child has an infeasibly sophisticated palate (think artichokes, white truffle oil and pomegranate) who is always telling me it’s “embarrassing” at school events when she’s surrounded be kids eating white bread sandwiches.

FFS own it. If your kid is good at something I would far rather hear honest pride than a kind of reverse self-deprecatory brag. So English.

Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 09:08

tomatoandherbs · 04/05/2022 08:05

This thread is an insight into how dark some people view the world. Seeing bragging where I just see a conversation starter or someone proud of something or just a throw away comment.

I think I’ll stick with my way of viewing the world!

So someone saying they have a higher IQ than you or word dropping ensuite knowingly is just a conversation starter.... okay then...

While cleaning the ensuite I was just so happy knowing I have a higher IQ and more important job than you, how are you today?

OP posts:
LoisWilkersonslastnerve · 04/05/2022 09:08

A man at our kids karate grading used to buy his sons next belt before he'd even been graded🙄Might as well beat the queue as obviously little Mr Miagee Jnr will pass.

Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 09:09

If it helps I have no social media accounts so the only bragging I witness is in person... seems more calculated to do it to someones face?

OP posts:
50ShadesOfCatholic · 04/05/2022 09:15

FangsForTheMemory · 04/05/2022 07:15

‘Oh what a pity you didn’t know there are different types of rice,’ would be my reply to that one.

Because you add a shitload of sugar to sushi rice. Idiot! 😂

50ShadesOfCatholic · 04/05/2022 09:17

FangsForTheMemory · 04/05/2022 07:15

‘Oh what a pity you didn’t know there are different types of rice,’ would be my reply to that one.

Because you add a shitload of sugar to sushi rice. Idiot! 😂

JustFrustrated · 04/05/2022 09:20

Some of these comments are awful.

I reckon most of you would say a lot of my FB statuses are "humble bragging"

(Last night was about the kids fighting over who got to be chief taste tester of the new recipe I was trying - which in subsequent comments I mentioned some ingredients, more out of surprise they'd be in such a recipe but hey ho)

It's not bragging. It's because I find it funny. It's my social media so I share things I enjoy. E.g. photos of my kids, photos of my new office we built in our garden etc.

And why not? I'd much rather see a brag, humble or otherwise, than some of the shit that gets posted.

E.g. "prank videos" "influencers discovering" hair rollers etc. etc.

I think some of you are inadvertently humble bragging by your pulling down of other people by inferring you're too good to be excited/happy for/blah blah other people.

And to the PP who posted about someone saying their daughter was smart/beautiful etc. That's awful. Why can't we be proud of, and brag, about our kids?

Gagaandgag · 04/05/2022 09:22

eastegg · 04/05/2022 07:46

Irrelevant to the thread but I am a semi-Sahm with a previous ‘proper career’ who also got an Uber for the first time last Friday night! Spooky! No-one made dick remarks to me though. I’m very sorry about your twatty cousin.

Sorry I just reread it and realised you meant you commenting on that part was irrelevant 😊sorry

LetsGoCrazyPurpleBanana · 04/05/2022 09:22

latetothefisting · 03/05/2022 14:32

I agree that most of these are just normal boasts rather than humble brags,or even stealth boasts.

Humble brags are when the person pretends not to have any personal accountability for the thing they are bragging about - often use the method of ostensibly thanking someone else for the subject of the "brag"

E.g. "so grateful to Mrs x for her hard work teaching little Johnny's class this year. Thanks to her encouragement he got a level 8 in English- the highest in the county. Thank you mrs x #bestteacher"

Or "I'm going to miss my work family at x company so much. You are so generous to grt me such lovely leaving presents (with pic of pile of expensive presents)."

"Huge thanks to the staff in #the Dorchester (or any other posh hotel/shop etc) for going the extra mile to make our stay special"

Stealth boasts are when they chuck in the subject of the brag/boast when the conversation is about something completely unrelated. Obvious example include "loving my new manicure" (photo of nails on a branded car steering wheel or holding a designer bag) or "can't wait for the holidays!" with a picture of passport and a boarding pass clearly posed to show luxurious destination and first class ticket...

Rochelle Humes Instagram is priceless for the bragging. Pics of £250 manicured nails with a Chanel bag/sandles/braggy car steering wheel just in shot 🤦‍♀️

NippyWoowoo · 04/05/2022 09:28

Gagaandgag · 04/05/2022 01:16

Last Friday night I went for drinks with my cousin who is a year younger than me. She has no DC. After a few drinks…

“But it’s been so hard having a higher IQ than you. I wish I could just be a SAHM like you. I wish company hadn’t headhunted me and offered me the 100k+ job and then company fought hard for me so I reluctantly agreed to stay! (Rolling her eyes and sighing) If only my life was as easy as yours!”

No joke.
For context I’m not one to brag about anything but I was a successful teacher before I had kids and now I home educate them because they have challenging SEN! 🤣

After this we went home and she had called us an Uber. I’ve never been in one because I’ve never needed to. I started telling the guy my address -

Cousin laughing “Oh please excuse her she doesn’t get ubers” (eye roll)
To me - “Its ok! Relax. It’s all booked in” in patronising tone.

I mean she has always had a superior complex and I’ve let it go and laughed it off but this one irritated me! Fancy telling someone you have a higher IQ than them 🤣

I think we have the same cousin 😂

Lovinglife45 · 04/05/2022 09:32

Letsgocrazy
Rather distasteful but at least Rochelle is being upfront with her boasting.

I have always found Rochelle and Marvin to be quite conceited. They appear to be very much in love with themselves. Definitely a smug couple.

NippyWoowoo · 04/05/2022 09:35

Reallyis that bragging about the fact your husband is driving 3 execs she’s not saying her husband is one of be execs. She’s saying her husband is driving execs

Oh bragging by association is definitely also a thing.

I'm a nanny and the some of the most insufferable ones are the ones who work for incredibly wealthy clients, I know one who always name drops and says things like 'gosh, it was hard looking after a sick child today, he was so clingy while we sat on the set of a photo shoot, sigh'

Or 'when you spot 'celebrity' on the walk to school, that life when you live in 'fancy neighbourhood'. You're a live in, you'll be moving out when the job ends.

They think that they people they work for/homes they work in is a reflection of them as people.

Lovinglife45 · 04/05/2022 09:53

planetme
I completely understand how you feel as we were the poor relation growing up. Not everyone will be happy to see you progress whether to their level or beyond. Enjoy your comfortable life and try to care less about others.

The80sweregreat
How do your conversations gravitate towards this woman bringing up her ensuite?

Bestopoption
I would defriend both of these women. Bragging beyond belief.

Truffles
I agree. Social media almost forces those who are not natural braggers to brag in order to keep up with others.

Lovinglife45 · 04/05/2022 09:56

planetme
I completely understand how you feel as we were the poor relation growing up. Not everyone will be happy to see you progress whether to their level or beyond. Enjoy your comfortable life and try to care less about others.

The80sweregreat
How do your conversations gravitate towards this woman bringing up her ensuite?

Bestopoption
I would defriend both of these women. Bragging beyond belief.

Truffles
I agree. Social media almost forces those who are not natural braggers to brag in order to keep up with others.

tomatoandherbs · 04/05/2022 10:35

word dropping ensuite

this made me chuckle!

i very much doubt someone was bragging about having an ensuite
but if you are always going to look for the bad in someone, then yes I suppose you would see it like that!

Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 10:41

MangosteenSoda · 03/05/2022 13:31

A lemur climbed on my head in Madagascar.

Misses point of thread

Were its hands and feet all pokey?

🦨

OP posts:
Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 10:45

tomatoandherbs · 04/05/2022 10:35

word dropping ensuite

this made me chuckle!

i very much doubt someone was bragging about having an ensuite
but if you are always going to look for the bad in someone, then yes I suppose you would see it like that!

TBF an ensuite is just a toilet you cant take a shit in.

Well you can .... but 😷

OP posts:
CounsellorTroi · 04/05/2022 11:23

Definitely a humblebrag. A boast disguised as a complaint or as self deprecation.

Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 11:25

CounsellorTroi · 04/05/2022 11:23

Definitely a humblebrag. A boast disguised as a complaint or as self deprecation.

But I didn't even mention my 3 ensuites that are a nightmare to clean 😉

OP posts:
CounsellorTroi · 04/05/2022 11:36

Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 11:25

But I didn't even mention my 3 ensuites that are a nightmare to clean 😉

Sorry, I wasn’t replying to you! I was replying to the poster whose friend was outraged when someone said to her outside the gym that it was great having pretty women like her in the gym as it made it seem less like hard work. Thought I’d quoted the post but didn’t and can’t find it now!

Feckingfeck · 04/05/2022 11:39

Its fine... great opportunity for a pseudobrag 😂

OP posts:
Namechangeplease · 04/05/2022 11:49

JudgeJ · 03/05/2022 16:23

Obviously she would tell you how overwhelmed Father Christmas was with the cleanliness of her chimney and the magnificence of her Christmas decorations that he lost sphincter control.

🤣🤣🤣

planetme · 04/05/2022 12:31

@LetsGoCrazyPurpleBanana

I had to go and stalk rochelle homes Insta 😂 as I needed to see what a £250 manicure looked like. As I am a microblading and PMU brow artist and don't even charge that much for brows (that generally then last at least 18 months!)

However I'm more shocked that her nail tech has a blue tick and millions of followers. who knew that was a thing -
That nail artists can be are actual celebs themselves. I don't understand the world anymore I'm too old I think 🤯

tomatoandherbs · 04/05/2022 12:49

I have just seen a thread on actives entitled “costs of maintaining a swimming pool”

some of you are going to so pissed at the perceived humble brag!!

eastegg · 04/05/2022 13:31

Gagaandgag · 04/05/2022 08:53

I felt the top part of my story is a brag and not irrelevant to the thread

I added in the bottom part for context in the story

I think you’ve misunderstood my post! I meant that the coincidence that you and I both got Ubers for the first time on Friday is irrelevant to the thread, not that any of your post was.