"How Crazy All Their Exes Are": 35 Things People Boast About Without Realizing It's A Major Red Flag About Them

We all know that nobody likes a braggart, but why do we brag in the first place? What compels us to want to share our accomplishments so openly? To gain some insight on this topic, we reached out to Viktor Sander, a counselor at SocialSelf. "I believe people primarily brag because they’re insecure about their own value," Viktor told Bored Panda. "They want to be validated by others, they want to feel liked, or they want to feel better than others. The problem is that bragging usually has the opposite effect - people will like and validate us less if we brag."

We were also curious if there are ever times where it is acceptable to boast. "It’s more socially acceptable to brag about major life accomplishments, such as getting a job, finishing your degree, getting married, or buying a house," Viktor shared. So if you've recently done any of those things, go nuts! Enjoy your socially acceptable bragging for a limited time only.

We also wanted to know if Viktor would consider any brags to be red flags. "Accidentally bragging about something is seldom a deal-breaker in itself," he shared. "Everyone needs validation, and sometimes things slip out of us when we try to get that validation in a clumsy way such as bragging."

"For me, a red flag would be if someone brags about being mean or disrespectful to others," Viktor added. "That signals they have badly developed empathy and a flawed moral compass."

Sometimes, our loved ones may not realize they have a tendency for being boastful, so we asked Viktor if he had any advice for navigating those situations. "If someone you care about brags, I would recommend a non-reactive, but still polite response," he told Bored Panda. "A non-reactive reply discourages their bragging, without the need for confrontation."

"For example, you can reply, 'Oh, I see' and then switch topics. There’s usually no need to confront someone about bragging. By not reacting, we make sure they’re not rewarded for their bragging to discourage the behavior," he explained. "Also, keep in mind that they’re probably bragging because they feel insecure and want your validation. Realizing that they’re just insecure can make it easier to put things into perspective and not take their bragging personally."

If you'd like to hear more wise words from Viktor and the rest of the team at SocialSelf, be sure to visit their website right here.

We hope the examples on this list aren't reminding you too much of anyone you know personally, but if they are, it might be time to give them some gentle reminders that these brags aren't helping them out. Keep upvoting the responses you find particularly relatable, and let us know in the comments what other brags make you roll your eyes. Then if you're looking for another Bored Panda article featuring red flags to look out for, you can find that right here!