A story is told of three school boys bragging about their fathers in the schoolyard. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $100.” The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $200.” The third boy says, “I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon and it takes eight people to collect all the money!” Obviously his father should be a pastor of a mega church to have eight people to collect the money. I am sure all of us have come across people who brag and most of us have personally experienced the torture and know firsthand how annoying it is when one goes on and on with his or her accolades.
Bragging was always understood as an unhealthy habit that magnifies or glorifies self. For a long time I thought this was one truth that was universally agreed upon, till I came across the book entitled “Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It” by Peggy Klaus. Here are some excerpts from her book and the reviews of her book. “Peggy Klaus, a world-renowned business coach who helps thousands of top professionals every year, teaches you how to toot your own horn in a way that’s sincere, feels comfortable, and is appealing to those you’re trying to impress. Filled with self-promotion solutions for both your professional and personal life, BRAG! shows you how to spotlight and artfully communicate your most important asset – you!”
I understand that there is a very thin line between being confident and being conceited.
“The tug-of-war between showing humility and showcasing our accomplishments is played out daily across working America, even in the brashest of industries…In today’s cutthroat business world, where job security is virtually nonexistent, bragging is a necessity – not a choice! Remaining quiet about your successes only leads to being underappreciated and overlooked” says Peggy Klaus. When I first read this I was shocked that someone could conclude that bragging is a necessity. All through my entire life I always was taught that humility is a virtue everyone should develop but may be for the first time we now have people who are considering bragging not only as a virtue but as a necessity. I understand that she is making this statement from a business background where tooting our own horn may become a survival factor to impress people and promote self. But does that justify promoting bragging?
The strong desire to “prove yourself” and impress others drag us into this habit of bragging.
I understand that there is a very thin line between being confident and being conceited, it’s humanly difficult to judge whether a person is just confident of his or her abilities or is conceited, but it is sometimes possible that our sincere efforts to just present our abilities may also look like bragging to others. Therefore anytime we are presenting our own strengths and abilities we should remember that we are treading on a tight rope. Pride is not the only reason why people brag, in fact as I read some material on bragging I found that insecurity is a greater source of bragging than pride. The strong desire to “prove yourself” and impress others drag us into this habit of bragging.
“The less compelled you are to try to prove yourself to others, the easier it is to feel peaceful inside. Proving yourself is a dangerous trap. It takes an enormous amount of energy to be continually pointing out your accomplishments, bragging, or trying to convince others of your worth as a human being…Ironically, however, the less you care about seeking approval, the more approval you seem to get. People are drawn to those with a quiet, inner confidence, people who don’t need to make themselves look good, be “right” all the time, or steal the glory. Most people love a person who doesn’t need to brag, a person who shares from his or her heart and not from his or her ego” notes Richard Carlson in his best seller “Don’t sweat the small stuff…”
Mark Twain has a great insight for our generation that makes a big deal of small achievements; he says “Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid.” I do not see any good justification for bragging whether it is in a business world or a private life. I understand that there are times when we are called to present or communicate our abilities for an accurate evaluation, but I do not see any need for blowing our own trumpets because that only reveals our insecurity and ruins our relationships. The wise man in Proverbs 21: 6 says “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.” James 4:16 says “As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.” In contrast to what the world says remember Jesus says “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”(Luke 18:14).
“Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid.” – Mark Twain
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
