Contents

Boasting

Boastingorbragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.

Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves their superiority and is recounting accomplishments so that others will feel admiration or envy.^[1]

Individuals construct an image of themselves, a personal identity, and present themselves in a manner that is consistent with that image.^[2] Theodore Millon theorized that in self-presentation, individuals seek to balance boasting against discrediting themselves with excessive self-promotion or being caught blatantly misrepresenting themselves. Studies show that people often have a limited ability to perceive how their efforts at self-presentation are actually impacting their acceptance and likeability by others.^[3]

Although a brag can be as straightforward as a simple claim to riches or greatness, it often assumes a variety of more subtle forms^[4] in order to shield the speaker from any opprobrium they might otherwise receive for transgressing the social norms of humility. The most popular of these forms is the humblebrag, a term coined by comedian Harris Wittels, whereby the brag is masked in a complaint.^[5] For example, "Dating websites are so much work. Every time I log in, I have like a hundred new messages."

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2015)

The Ancient Greek book The Characters of Theophrastus devotes a chapter to "The Boastful Man".^[6]

BēotisOld English for a ritualized boast, vow, threat or promise, which was usually made by an Anglo-Saxon warrior on the eve of or during battle. Bēots can be found in the epic poem Beowulf, including by the hero himself.

Agab (Old Occitan [ˈɡap] for "boast") is a troubadour boasting song.

Boasting and bragging are necessary components of maintaining "face" in some Arab societies.^[7]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this sectionbyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Miles Gloriosus, a stock character from ancient Roman comedy
• Rodomonte, a major character in the Italian romantic epic poems Orlando innamoratobyMatteo Maria Boiardo and Orlando furiosobyLudovico Ariosto, which gave rise to the word rodomontade, meaning "boastful, bragging talk"
• Scaramouche, a stock clown character in Italian commedia dell'arte
• Falstaff, in three of William Shakespeare's plays
• Baron Munchausen, a baron made famous by the novel of Rudolf Raspe who enjoys telling fantastical and absurd stories about his adventures abroad. He was based on a real-life German baron who was known for his exaggerated tales.
• The Twelve Idle Servants, a fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm about twelve servants who boast about their incredible laziness.
• Daffy Duck: American cartoon character who often brags about himself. In all of the cartoons he appeared in since the 1950s, he is usually victim of his own overestimations.
• Lambik: A Belgian comics character who often sees himself as smart, strong, attractive and a born leader, but is actually neither of those things.
• Odd Della Robbia, one of the main characters of the French animated series Code Lyoko.

• Definitions from Wiktionary

Media from Commons

Quotations from Wikiquote