Bragging implies boasting about something.
Show off is a verb that refers to making a show (pomp, ostentation). Whoever boasts, in this way, boasts about or about something.
For example: “I don't want to brag, but the boss congratulated me on my project,” “Without bragging, the experienced striker reviewed his achievements and considered that he deserves a chance on the team,” “Can you stop bragging? After all, you haven't done anything that important..."
Examples of bragging
Suppose that the president of a country aspires to be re-elected in office. At the close of the electoral campaign, he offers a speech to thousands of followers: “In my four years in office, we have built fourteen hospitals and sixty schools. In addition, we managed to reduce the unemployment rate to 3% and we managed to establish important trade agreements with foreign partners. The external debt, on the other hand, is now history: we have paid all the creditors.” Listening to the speech, many people may consider that the president was dedicated to boasting about his achievements to seduce voters.
Bragging is often seen as a self-centered or presumptuous act . A young businessman can flaunt his fortune by driving around in luxury cars, taking photographs in his mansion, and inviting journalists to accompany him on pleasure trips around the world. For most people, these behaviors are condemnable from an ethical point of view.
Presumptuous people tend to boast.
a negative attitude
An attitude of this type is not only considered negative, but also generates negative responses. One of the most common reasons for this impact is envy : if we do nothing more than boast about our achievements and belongings, it is quite likely that more than one person will feel bad for not having all that, that they will believe they are in inferior conditions. , and that is why he decides to harm us directly or indirectly.
In this sense, we can say that the term boast is synonymous with boasting in a conceited way, precisely other words that describe negative behaviors that are difficult to assimilate by those who witness or receive them. This does not mean that we should consider envy an acceptable or justifiable feeling; On the contrary, we are faced with a case of two reprehensible acts, one that leads to the other .
Returning to the example of the politician, we see that the act of boasting does not have the same negative nuances as that of the young businessman, although in both cases the procedure is questionable: the first seeks to manipulate citizens with statistical data that does not always reflect reality. , to get their votes, instead of focusing on what he really intends to do if he is re-elected; The second, for his part, shows others his luxuries instead of presenting himself as he really is, making his person known, and then he receives hatred and envy.
The importance of being humble and not boasting
He who has achieved various achievements but does not brag is a humble subject. A singer who sells millions of records and fills stadiums around the world, when asked by the press about his success, can limit himself to thanking his fans and highlighting the importance of his work team.
It is important to note that it is always possible to avoid boasting and opt for humility , even if we are tempted by the desire for everyone to know how well we have done things, how much we have harvested in life or what valuable objects we have bought.
Just as it is necessary to contemplate the existence of fear to define bravery, perhaps we should also accept our tendency to ostentation to evaluate the decision not to do so : in the face of a fire, someone who risks his life to save another is brave as long as he faces its danger. fear of dying in the flames; Likewise, we can speak of humility to the extent that it arises as a result of an internal struggle against the need to boast.