Quote:
Originally Posted by Salmon77
It seems like you put a really negative frame around talking about positive things: it's gloating or bragging or smug, and burdening people, and it's not like you won a Nobel Prize... Personally I think it's fun to hear about people's victories, big or small. I don't think there's anything wrong with feeling good when things go well or sharing that good feeling with people.
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Smug is actually one of my favorite emotions. I enjoy gloating. However, I don't think there is value in talking about one's accomplishments with people who have no investment in it. I don't think most people genuinely care about the accomplishments of strangers or acquaintances. You are more likely to stoke resentment in such people than happiness on your behalf. Humans are more given to jealousy and competition than selfless happiness on the behalf of distant others.
I think it's not so much that I place a negative value on talking about accomplishments as it is a reflection of my cynicism of the human race and its capacities. I would also suggest that it is your own (and most other peoples') negative beliefs about talking about accomplishments that put a negative spin on smugness or gloating. It sort of reinforces my point that people don't want to hear about accomplishments that these words exist and have a negative connotation.