What is So Bad About Self-Conceit?

The thing that irks me about world football star Cristiano Ronaldo is that I like him: he’s rich, handsome and brilliant.

According to several online sources, the triple adjectives the superstar ascribed to himself are what spurred jeers during one Champions League match over a decade ago against Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb.

A media frenzy had stirred concerning his perceived vanity and lack of insight regarding his skills.

After the “Is he serious?” factor wore off, I had to ponder the question: what is so incriminating about self-conceit?

I am beautiful, I am smart, I am successful.

By sugar coating the triptych of attributes with the explanation that one has finally reached the pinnacle of self-love, the fact remains:

Your listener will be put off by what is concluded: that you are vain.

In Europe, where I had lived for over a decade, sporting one’s triumphs were not socially acceptable. You just didn’t talk about it.

Back in the day, when I newly connected with artists on Facebook, the European artists would send me a welcoming inbox message unabashed with heart emojis and love.

The American artists had no words ~ only a link to their websites or their books.

These days, everybody seems to be selling something no matter where they live rendering the term Snake Oil Salesman defunct.

If we’re all snake oil salesman, so what? Self-Promotion, after all, is the way to go in an internet frenzied DIY world to take advantage of what is in front of you.

And when it comes to social media platforms, there is a lot in front of you.

Toot your own horn, because nobody else will do it for you is an adage keen to live by. But is the adage a palliative against one’s path for trespassing?

I should hope not, but I also asked myself, how much tooting can one do before they are tuned out?

Is it not human nature to be somewhat envious of our colleagues’ accolades, or rather turned off by the assertiveness they display as an opportunist?

We are more inclined to welcome humble laureates into our fold, those we deem sweethearts or heroes, who refuse to pat themselves on the back for the bulk of their efforts.

But winners had to start somewhere, too.

I suspect survival in a flailing economy is why we deem self-promotion as shameless.. A softening of rhetoric which may otherwise come across as arrogant.