Pride: the 6 common traits of vain people
What are the commonalities between people who believe they are better than others?
Personality traits form one of the most interesting fields of study in the field of psychology. However, many of the adjectives we normally use to refer to the way people around us are do not correspond to a scientifically created category.
However, this does not mean that there are not certain nuances in personality that may not be of interest. This is the case of pridea term that is often used to designate vain and somewhat arrogant people. However, the psychological implications of this trait go far beyond the bad image that socially has been given to it.
Personality traits associated with pride
The personality traits that define arrogant people are especially related to two characteristics: narcissism and a tendency to megalomania. Both psychological dimensions are closely linked and speak of a need to maintain a highly idealized self-image.They speak to us of a need to maintain a highly idealized self-image that serves to justify a series of irrational beliefs (i.e., that do not fit with what is being verified about reality). Among these beliefs is the belief that one is in control of virtually every aspect of one's daily life - that one has control over all aspects of one's life - and that one has control over all aspects of one's life.
What is narcissism?
Narcissism is a propensity for feelings of grandiosity in self-evaluation..
Narcissistic people are always aware of what others think about them, but at the same time, they believe they have more value than most. Although it may seem paradoxical, they are obsessed with making everyone behave as if they were very special and relevant people while undervaluing others.
Moreover, they consider that their point of view is the most correct and tend to treat others with a certain paternalism for this reason: they try to teach them that they are wrong, without first considering whether they are the ones who have fallen into error. In general, they do not empathize as easily as non-narcissistic people. They tend not to be people with much tact and deference towards others..
What is megalomania?
Megalomania is a concept very similar to narcissism, although it has a somewhat more pathological nuance. has a somewhat more pathological nuance because it includes a relationship with the delusional ideas that a person holds in order to believe that he/she is capable of doing things that, in reality, he/she can hardly achieve.
Megalomaniacs greatly overestimate their capabilities and, as a result, tend to want to take control of everything that happens in their lives: including the projects that other people are working on. For example, they may believe they can get a large company to hire a relative even though they don't know anyone who works there, or assume they will receive special treatment from the police if they commit an infraction.
- You can read more about megalomania in this article: "Megalomania and delusions of grandeur: playing God".
The characteristics of arrogant people
Now that we have an idea of how, in general, arrogant people are defined, we can move on to explore their personality in more detail. These are some of the specific characteristics that conceited people tend to have.
1. They believe that by default they are almost always right.
As we have seen, pride takes from narcissism this irrational belief that one is always right simply because of who one is. That is why, sometimes, people who are markedly arrogant try to argue and defend their point of view using the fallacy of authority.
2. They are attentive to their public image, even if it is not noticed.
Conceited people need to have feedback about the image they give to others, even if they try to appear indifferent about it.although they try to appear indifferent about it. The reason is that they know that naturalness and spontaneity are valued positively.
3. Anger caused by pride
The fact of having to carry such an idealized version of themselves means that when relating to this type of person, sparks can easily fly. That is to say, they they can get angry for trivial details.. For example, when they feel that they are not being paid enough attention, they may unconsciously tend to look for an excuse to confront the other person.
4. Theatricality in the way they present themselves
People who Excel in pride draw attention to themselves in ways that sometimes seem to belong more to the performing arts, especially if they want to stand out in front of a group.especially if they want to stand out in front of a group of people. That is to say, they have a certain tendency to theatricalize and spectacularize some moments of their daily life.
5. The importance of social networks
The emergence of the massive use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter makes many young people adopt behavioral dynamics that define arrogant people, although in a new way.
Rivalry is created by the number of followers, strategies are created to have more visibility on the Internet. and sometimes these virtual profiles are only used to try to give this desired image of oneself, and not so much to really communicate with others, as a famous person would do.
For example: teenage boys and girls in Barcelona going to a trendy nightclub (interesting from minute 0:57):
6. The instrumentalization of others
If narcissism has a clear relationship with psychopathy, it is because these two personality characteristics reify the rest of the human beings with whom one has direct contact; that is to say, they are treated as objects, they are treated as objects.
Vain people can devote so much attention to their image that they cannot avoid seeing others as a means to make their "grandiosity" expand, reaching greater heights of power (economic or social) through them.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)