Humblebragging — bragging masked by a complaint or humility — really infuriates people. Mainly because the disguise isn't fooling us.
A 2018 study from researchers at Harvard and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill found that it is even worse than regular, straight-up self-promotion. The latter at least comes off as genuine!
However, some folks just can't help it. They let their insecurities get the best of them and put their false modesty on full display, ready to savor all the attention and recognition it might earn.
When that happens, they end up on a subreddit called r/HumbleBrag. The online community for shaming this pitiful self-presentation. Continue scrolling and check out some of its top posts.
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Very Pretty Girl Btw
"[Humblebragging] is such a common phenomenon. All of us know some people in our lives, whether in social media or in the workplace, who do this annoying thing," study author Ovul Sezer, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, said. "You think, as the humblebragger, that it's the best of both worlds, but what we show is that sincerity is actually the key ingredient."
Sezer and her team conducted a series of experiments, trying to determine how common humblebragging actually is and how others perceive it. They discovered that humblebragging is everywhere: Out of 646 people surveyed, 70% could recall a humblebrag they'd heard recently.
Ah Yes
The researchers then established that there are two distinct types of humblebrags. The first falls back on a complaint ("I hate that I look so young; even a 19-year-old hit on me!") while the second relies on humility ("Why do I always get asked to work on the most important assignment?"). The results showed that roughly 60% of the humblebrags people remembered fell into the complaint category.
I Laughed More Than I Should’ve
My almost 7 year old has recently learnt how to do his buttons up and I am very proud. It’s not a race to see whose child is the best, the smartest, tallest, best looking etc.
Woman Got Called Out In A Facebook Group For Humblebragging About Paying For Someone’s Burger And Fries
The researchers also carried out experiments to see how people responded to humblebrags, particularly focusing on the bragger's perceived likability and competence. They found that regular bragging was better on both counts, it at least comes off as genuine, Sezer explained. Interestingly, even complainers were more likable and seemed more competent than humblebraggers of any type.
These People Are Cancer
Loves His Niece
"If you want to announce something, go with the brag and at least own your self-promotion and reap the rewards of being sincere, rather than losing in all dimensions," Sezer said.
It would be even better if there was someone to 'wingman' your boasting. "If someone brags for you, that's the best thing that can happen to you, because then you don't seem like you're bragging," Sezer added.
Saw This In My Feed And Felt It Belonged Here
Mum's Stretching The Truth
However, we may want to rethink our harsh criticism of humblebraggers. We may be doing it ourselves without realizing it. "We all do it, to some extent," Sezer said. "I hope I don't sound like I’m humblebragging when I talk about this research."
If Only There Were A Way To Prevent This From Happening
" Just A Kid In My Bedroom" Who Is Actually A God
wait what the hell did I just read?? Harry got the right reaction tbh
Bible Belt Humblebrag
Yeah, and posting it on Twitter so angels could see your deed and retweet it in heaven.
Subtle
It’s your humility that makes you attractive. Or your sarcasm.
Additional studies examined the causes of humblebragging; in other words, if this strategy is so bad, why do people engage in it at all? After all, many situations in life involve either complaining or bragging. The humblebrag, the authors discovered, occurs when people try to elicit both sympathy and admiration.
This Guy Has Too Many Friends
Such Grace. Such Restraint
It is not humblebragging. It is just bragging. She is not even trying to not look like a spoiled brat.
My question is related to the wedgie she's feeling... on a scale of 1 to ouch...
I'd say you can see the gusset every time she opens her mouth.
Load More Replies...K either way this is f*ckd. If real her parents have clearly brought out the very worst in her, if trolling its just f*****g annoying af. Designed to put others down in order to boost her self esteem.
Oh I have seen so many parents do this exact thing for their kids. I live in front of my Towns High School and the cars most of these Kids are driving will blow your mind clear off your head. One kids father bought him a brand new at the time 2017 BMW M6. I actually allowed him to park that car in my driveway knowing how expensive and rare at the time it was. I don't know how that clutch made it as long as it did. While the kid seemed very nice and very grateful for me letting him park at my house he had zero qualms boasting that his father randomly bought him the car. That car specifically is beyond fast and the version he had was so far beyond what a kid that had his license for less.... go to reply for rest
Load More Replies...My mum would have brought me to the subway station and bought me a Metrocard if I pulled that s**t!
haha is that before or after ya woke up in ICU for having ya ass kicked into next week .. like my parents would have
Load More Replies...Sorry I forgot to surround it with [sarcasm] [/sarcasm] tags.
Load More Replies...So she started crying because she was about to get a Toyota and not the BMW she wanted to?? This girl is the literal equivalent to a 3 years old that starts crying because it wants a chocolate cookie but doesn't get one.
Except for her "clothes"... although it is a body and the pants could also be a diaper...
Load More Replies...That's like the girl behind me in college that was complaining to her friend that her Dad bought her a BMW instead of the Mercedes she wanted. I turned around and said "My first car was a used blue 4-door 71 Nova...and I didn't even own it. My Dad did. Be grateful you had a new car. Because the alternative is..well..nothing." She shut up after that.
Oh lord/ why don't you buy me/ a mercedes benz/ cause all my friends drive porches/ you've got to make amends/ So lord / ... ---Janis J
Load More Replies...My first car I paid for even though I didn’t have my license ($550). My dad ended up using it until he broke the head. Fixed the head when my partner got his license and he drove it until the gearbox went. It was gonna cost more to replace the gearbox than what the car was worth. Sorry went on a tangent, my point is that even though I never got to drive it or anything I am proud that I bought my first car.
This is the thing, we always value what we work and sacrifice for more than what's handed to us. I've never actually had a "new" car but have paid off a few good used ones and nothing can beat that feeling.
Load More Replies...That’s so stupid. You let a little brat kid control your life.
Load More Replies..."I couldn't hold my emotions" - Princess Vile Braggart.
If my last kid try to pull a stunt that, I'd walk straight out of the showroom because I would know they are not emotionally mature enough to be behind the wheel of a car.
my sister did that to my mom at 30 .. mom was giving her money for a car loan .. she went with my sister and my sister tried to get a 55 G Car even took it for a test drive .. (before mom knew about it) was ready to sign she even took the pics and snapchatted / Fb / Insta'ed them .. my mom was like WHATS THE PRICE ?!! HELL NO IM NOT PAYING THAT FOR A LOAN .. my sister threw the meanest tanty .. my mom walked out and left her there lol she had to catch the bus home with kids in tow lol
Load More Replies...*raises hand* pristine condition, 1993 Cavalier station wagon purchased in 2002, had to pay my folks back for it too. Yay entitlement?
My favorite would be the one i worked for and was actually mine and not my mums car that i borrowed
First of all why does car type matter? It's a functioning car with functioning engines, it's all the same. Your parents work hard and they get to choose which car they buy you, be grateful for any kind of car. And crying so loud in the middle of the store just to get a car to flex on your friends... that's kinda immature...
Lets pose in my new car snd ooooh! Let me sit like with legs wide open! Ooooh! Look at my new car!
It's very sad that social media has become this. A haven for people desperate for likes from strangers.
smh if you were my daughter and threw a s**t like that Id walk out and buy you NOTHING you ungrateful lil bitch ...... and Id make ya catch the bus home and leave ya ass at the bus depo .. def wouldnt cave into your tanty demands what do ya think your on "my sweet 16" wkith rich buy me anything parents or something?
I feel like this is the most normal one in that it seems like it happened and it’s about a kid wanting a better name brand car, which is common among brats. She’s probably not lying. If that pic isn’t photoshopped, then I see little wrong here. Just an annoying bratty girl who likes her car.
Wow I think you're diving a little bit too deep into that happy texting
Load More Replies...Parents should buy teenagers expensive cars. They are going to wreck it, and if you got them a sports car, that wreck may also result in their death or the death of someone else. Help your kids get their first car, reliable, safe, used. Then they can use that car to drive to their job where they can save up to buy a different one if they want, or the replacement car for the used car you bought them and they trashed.
Bored Panda never lets me edit my posts! Shouldn't* Parent shouldn't buy teenager expensive cars. GOD DANG my inability to check my work before I post. I shall never learn!. Bored Panda, why won't you let me edit my posts? The SHAME!!!
Load More Replies...Well my kid would of got a bus pass you not paying for it so get what I buy
I am not sure which kind of person I dislike more: Someone who would complain about the make of a *free car*, or someone who would buy the more expensive car for that person.
Your parents bought your car. That in itself is huge you ungrateful chicken you!
Btw my first car was a Toyota IQ and I really loved it 😁😁
Load More Replies...Ok my dream car has always been a BMW M3!!! Year or how old never mattered to me at all. My first car was a Early 1990's, first generation Hyundai Elantra, Red, 5spd and beat the f**k up. I drove mom's car the first few years I had my license so I can save to by above mentioned Bone. I junked it within 2 months due to mechanical problems. Since then I have owned and worked my 45yr old ass off for any vehicle that I've owned( Thank you Mommy and Daddy for making my sister learn humility and values and responsibilities). I now own my dream car, a 1997 BMW M3 E36, yes you read that correctly a 1997 that was my Dad's and is now mine since he passed away 16yrs ago. Continue reply
It was driven occasionally for a couple year by my Mom and I decided to buy it from her for Book Value 3yrs ago for Kelly Blue Book price for the highest price on top of an extra $5,000.00 for exceptional condition and it being a rare version. So I basically paid My Mom almost $20,000.00 for my dream car that she didn't want any money from me at all. I saved and scrimped when with out the popular, in items or clothes or cellphones so that I can get the things I covet the most. And again I would never have been able to without both of my parents handing my sister and I everything and anything we wanted whenever we wanted. Ugh read the next reply for my ending rambling comment
Load More Replies...Why are you wearing just underwear? Can't afford clothes, but can drive a flashy car?
So you threw a temper tantrum and got another care. BTdubs, I don't think anybody thought you were cool.
Gross. You’re typing online, not speaking. BTW is already shorter. Don’t be that person.
Load More Replies...im WORKING to buy a 03 nissan 350z thats like 2k and im happy with it, i hate the people that brag about having a nice expensive car when something as simple as a nissan or toyota is good its self, for example: pandem-1-6...08db2d.jpg
So it’s okay to brag about a Nissan but not something outside of your personal budget? That’s like the definition of being a hater.
Load More Replies...WTF is she wearing I understand trying to show a lil sum but damn that is to much fr
Her use of the word "mum" lets me know this was almost certainly NOT in America. It is extremely uncommon for Americans to call their mothers "mum". Mom, momma, ma, mommy or mama, yes. But "mum"? Nope. Its just one of those words like calling an elevator a "lift" or calling cookies "biscuits" that always let me know they are non-American.
Load More Replies...You Lose Touch So Fast
Actually, it is true, and really annoying. I am French, but sometimes I use English words because I cannot remember the French ones.
It’s So Annoying, Especially Because It’s Daily
Unfortunately, as we already discussed, this produces the opposite effects. However, it is possible that even though you dislike seeing humblebragging in others, you feel that you’ve got no choice but to model the behavior of people in your network who use this strategy. But the Harvard-UNC study suggests you need to fight off this impulse.
So Embarrassing
Sooo embarrassing.....that you feel the need to pretend to react for likes. Let your dancing speak itself, smh
This Is The Very Definition Of Humble Brag
Anyone with one comma in their account isn’t broke... but two commas! And do they have Wells Fargo in Dubai. No, really, this is from Warren Buffet in Omaha, right!
She Made Up A Story In Order To Flex
University Is So Wierd
When you think about it, no wonder so many humblebraggers reveal their true colors online. Social media is a lot to blame for this.
As writer Roxanne Batty pointed out, Zuckerberg, for example, promised Facebook would "give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Systrom, a year after starting Instagram, described the platform as "a storytelling service…the way you go out in the world and tell a story about your life." Not to be outshone, Snapchat took this rhetoric one step further, their original mission being to "empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together."
It all may sound lovely, but people have taken these slogans to the extreme.
Ughhh, Im Sooeee Bad At Drawing
How I understand it: what he drew was the eye on the right, but because people like him and don't want him to feel bad, they pretend his drawing to be as good as the one on the left. That's my headcanonical explanation and I don't want any facts or logical explanation to divert me from it.
A Humblebrag Of The Finest Quality
Yeah, just a few more inches short of being secure, those darn two inches down there...
Good On You For Being Fluent In 4 Languages
Consider Instagram. The platform focuses on images, the perfect breeding ground for the infamous humblebrag. "Selfies, the bread and butter of the network, are a source of bragging in their own right. But to downplay this outright display of narcissism, they are now combined with heartfelt captions," Batty said.
What She Said: Happy Mother’s Day, Ugly!
"You gave birth to a dynamite". Luckily it didn't blow up in her face.
Girl I Went To School With Always Posts Dumb Things Like This
Humblebrag
why is catcalling immpressive? its usually creepy old men jackin off in allyways?
Self Explanatory
"Look at this amazing shot of me where my skin and hair are flawless! But oops, I actually wanted to talk about how life is a struggle and being a social media influencer isn't all it's cracked up to be... #selfcare #love #mentalhealth." Sounds familiar? That's probably because you've seen this post a million times.
*my Wife- That's Amazing
Floyd Mayweather The King Of The Humblebrag
Way to take a proud moment in your son’s life and make it about you. My mom would be so proud.
Everybody Wants To Do Me Lmao!
"In a move to take some of the market share from Snapchat, Instastories also became part of the platform in 2016. These 24-hour windows provided a wealth of opportunities for a quick snappy humble brag (that disappears, so it’s all good). 'Oh, look at me with all my friends at this party! I should be studying for my law degree (at Harvard, whoops!) #FML #lifeishard.'"
Poor Guy
How Would I Know?
Hope Its A Good One
The term itself was coined by the comedian Harris Wittels, a writer for the NBC series “Parks and Recreation,” who collects hundreds of these cockeyed chestnuts on his Twitter feed and in his new book, both called “Humblebrag.”
Don’t Mind Me Just Getting My Iphones Mixed Up
He Wasn't Event Trying To Flex, Guys. He's Just That Rich
Weird Flex But Okay
Don't Be Too Humble
I Wish I Could Be Unhealthy But I’m Just Too Fit!
Can’t Relate
Phew!! That Was A Close One
Guys She's Struggling With Finding Herself
I think you should unite your parents' affiliations and be an English patient.
$4000 A Day? How Will He Eat?
Yeah...the Switch Makes It Enjoyable
Oh Such Agony
I’m Sure Your Sister Appreciates That Post
“Check Out How Many Guys Want Me!”
Mom, You're Making My Life So Hard!!
Girl On My Facebook
She Is Fed Up With All The Guys Giving Her Business Cards
If he gives you his business card, he probably wants to do business. And 3 clients in a month is pretty lame.
“I’m An Actor”
Humble And Using A Blackberry
Ugh I’m Just Such A Good Person
if people helped homeless people as much as they claimed too, we wouldn't have as big a crisis.
I Do The Best Science!!!
This Girl Is Skinny And Her Twitter Is Filled With This Type Of Content
My Parents Are So Rich. Help
I’ve Never Seen Someone With Such A High Ego
She Always Posts Things Like This, She’s A Mother
Seen On Twitter
It is not humblebragging, it is just bragging. There is no fake humility here. And if it is true, she has the right to do it because mind your own business dude.
Thank You Mr. President
Ugh, I Hate When This Happens. It’s So Embarrassing
Bruh You Didn’t Show Us Any Options
Why show options? Just come up with suggestions, she probably has it in her huge wardrobe anyway.
Too Much Snapchat
None of that will matter in 10 years when you realise none of them are friends
It’s Whatever Man
Sauceless And Disappointed
Really Needed That Piece Of Information In My Life. Thank You
i get the face and the number plate... but why block out her stomach?
In Her Sleep
I'm So Smart And Rich
"I went to college so I don't need Wikipedia" Someone who did not go to college
My Friend Constantly Posts Things Like This
Really Don't Like This Guy
Oh I Bet You Did
Too Many Guys Check Me Out
Gucci Heart Lol
Yes, I’m Sure Girls Were Judging You For Eating A Sandwich
I'm so quirky I eat sandwiches, work out, eat more than you, have a 24 inch waist and get this I'm also a velociraptor. 😂👏💁🏼♀️
Local Instagrammer Has A Tough Life
As A Med Student
Not a med student, but one quick Google search and: Different painkillers work in different ways. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin work by changing the way your body responds to pain and swelling. Mild opiate painkillers such as codeine work by blocking pain messages in your brain and spinal cord.
Saw This On Facebook, Must Be So Hard For You Being This Smart
This Isn't Mine But I Felt Like It Should Be Here
Let Me Play You A Song On The World's Smallest Violin
Nobody cares, dude. You don't need to share your every thought with the world.
My Favourite Replies Are When People Brag For Me
You’ve literally done nothing but make kids sweats at games because you are
Does This Count?
When smart kids debating the answer "9" or "-9" for math test and my answer was "mitochondria is the powerhouse of cell"
Everyone Bonding Over Making Minimum Wage And Laughing At The Tweet, Then There’s This Guy
On A Meme Where It Implies Popular Girls Gets 250 Likes On Their Profile Pics
She Means It In The Most“Humble “ Way... This Is Her Entire Persona, All The Time
Ah Yes, Sell Some Fortnite Codes
Just Reporting The News.... Nothing Else
So Prom Was Last Night And I Had A Friend Post This To His Story
Strangers Are Always Staring At My [butt]. Amusing!
A Dude I Used To Go To School With On His Snapchat
Woah. Don't judge them, they have a job at least, which isn't always easy! Yes you shouldn't hit on customers but don't call out their profession
Wow. Just wow. I don't think many posts make me feel sick, cringe and laugh all at the same time.
A few of these exemplify why I never discuss any of my atypical attributes with people I don't know. No matter what it is, no matter how inconsequential those traits might be, someone is going to interpret it as bragging. Though most of those were pretty blatantly just attention-whoring...
Agree but part of the point is to be socially / self aware enough to know appropriate venues for talking about atypical / fancy traits of yours. Of course there’s also a limit to that. People are so jealous and in such struggle / pain that they will see a person doing well and automatically label that person a braggart. In which case there’s no justification in hiding your atypical or expensive things just to make someone feel better.
Load More Replies...Title is wrong. More like Two Times People “Humble bragged” and Got Shamed for it, plus 48 times nobody said sh¡t about it.”
Yes, exactly. I'm looking at half of them wondering where the shaming comments are. There is one (about 3 year old saying words don't die) and there IS a picture where someone has replied "that didn't happen" but it's not here. What's going on with Bored Panda these days?
Load More Replies...nobody:........ the girls who are 100x better than me in art class: omg look at this self portrait it's so bad lol
It makes me sad to see how many attention-seekers there are on social media... social media platforms have sure enabled a lot of people to over-share (mostly a load of b*llocks).
Right!? The only social media I bother with, other than BP, is Instagram. You'd have to really dig through my account to find a picture of me because 95% of my content is my madcap assortment of rescue animals and my kids. I couldn't tell you how many followers I have because I genuinely don't care. I feel so bad for people whose self worth depends on 'likes'. It must be a truly miserable existence.
Load More Replies...Humble braggers suck, not just because they're putting effort into pretending not to brag, but also because they just make everyone else feel bad for being poor, not living up to beauty standards, ect.
Wonderful. Another post of "Someone does something or says something stupid and the internet shames them for it.." I hope a mob gets these people fired and destroys their lives for doing something stupid. Actually, I didn't read the article. I have enough toxicity in my life without reading another of these painful shaming posts. But, it seems the world tilts towards public shaming. Too bad we dismantled the stocks.
Isn't almost every single post on Instagram or Facebook a humble brag though? "Look at this selfie of me eating a bagel. Now upvote and tell me I'm pretty and quirky!"
They really be trying to act cool so others could get a reaction to their stupidity. Bull****.
It's like when a kid gets in the pool and mom is distracted so the kid does "tricks" to get her to look. "MOM LOOK MOM!! I DID A HANDSTAND! ARE YA LOOKIN? LOOK I CAN FLOAT! MOOMMMMMM!!!??" Pretty much the same thing lol
I think I'd far rather live the very simple, very quiet life I do than to have to make up tales that others can see through. In this day and age of the faster-than-lightning speed of most of the Internet, where lies can be proven to be just that, why say things that aren't true? Just a rhetorical question, not one worth answering.
I could read only 50. (yes I'm bragging) . Too much to handle this need to be superior.
I rolled my eyes so many times at these posts I feel like I might be cross eyed now
It has actually become really popular for people to brag about their wealth. Younger audiences love it and I have no idea why. People that flaunt expensive houses and cars, even straight up pictures with a ton of cash get a ton of followers. Like the freaking Kardashians, people are just super into this sort of thing and I don't get it.
I'd say that if someone buys a homeless person food just to brag about it on social media, brag away! The homeless person has food they wouldn't otherwise have = good! (Then there are the a-holes that are lying about their "charity", eff them.) Edit: just to make clear: I'm not saying the bragger is a nice person (far from it) but they brought good to the world on that instance, no matter the motives.
Wow. Just wow. I don't think many posts make me feel sick, cringe and laugh all at the same time.
A few of these exemplify why I never discuss any of my atypical attributes with people I don't know. No matter what it is, no matter how inconsequential those traits might be, someone is going to interpret it as bragging. Though most of those were pretty blatantly just attention-whoring...
Agree but part of the point is to be socially / self aware enough to know appropriate venues for talking about atypical / fancy traits of yours. Of course there’s also a limit to that. People are so jealous and in such struggle / pain that they will see a person doing well and automatically label that person a braggart. In which case there’s no justification in hiding your atypical or expensive things just to make someone feel better.
Load More Replies...Title is wrong. More like Two Times People “Humble bragged” and Got Shamed for it, plus 48 times nobody said sh¡t about it.”
Yes, exactly. I'm looking at half of them wondering where the shaming comments are. There is one (about 3 year old saying words don't die) and there IS a picture where someone has replied "that didn't happen" but it's not here. What's going on with Bored Panda these days?
Load More Replies...nobody:........ the girls who are 100x better than me in art class: omg look at this self portrait it's so bad lol
It makes me sad to see how many attention-seekers there are on social media... social media platforms have sure enabled a lot of people to over-share (mostly a load of b*llocks).
Right!? The only social media I bother with, other than BP, is Instagram. You'd have to really dig through my account to find a picture of me because 95% of my content is my madcap assortment of rescue animals and my kids. I couldn't tell you how many followers I have because I genuinely don't care. I feel so bad for people whose self worth depends on 'likes'. It must be a truly miserable existence.
Load More Replies...Humble braggers suck, not just because they're putting effort into pretending not to brag, but also because they just make everyone else feel bad for being poor, not living up to beauty standards, ect.
Wonderful. Another post of "Someone does something or says something stupid and the internet shames them for it.." I hope a mob gets these people fired and destroys their lives for doing something stupid. Actually, I didn't read the article. I have enough toxicity in my life without reading another of these painful shaming posts. But, it seems the world tilts towards public shaming. Too bad we dismantled the stocks.
Isn't almost every single post on Instagram or Facebook a humble brag though? "Look at this selfie of me eating a bagel. Now upvote and tell me I'm pretty and quirky!"
They really be trying to act cool so others could get a reaction to their stupidity. Bull****.
It's like when a kid gets in the pool and mom is distracted so the kid does "tricks" to get her to look. "MOM LOOK MOM!! I DID A HANDSTAND! ARE YA LOOKIN? LOOK I CAN FLOAT! MOOMMMMMM!!!??" Pretty much the same thing lol
I think I'd far rather live the very simple, very quiet life I do than to have to make up tales that others can see through. In this day and age of the faster-than-lightning speed of most of the Internet, where lies can be proven to be just that, why say things that aren't true? Just a rhetorical question, not one worth answering.
I could read only 50. (yes I'm bragging) . Too much to handle this need to be superior.
I rolled my eyes so many times at these posts I feel like I might be cross eyed now
It has actually become really popular for people to brag about their wealth. Younger audiences love it and I have no idea why. People that flaunt expensive houses and cars, even straight up pictures with a ton of cash get a ton of followers. Like the freaking Kardashians, people are just super into this sort of thing and I don't get it.
I'd say that if someone buys a homeless person food just to brag about it on social media, brag away! The homeless person has food they wouldn't otherwise have = good! (Then there are the a-holes that are lying about their "charity", eff them.) Edit: just to make clear: I'm not saying the bragger is a nice person (far from it) but they brought good to the world on that instance, no matter the motives.