People like to show off because it is a form of social interaction. It’s a way to make people you know feel close to you, give you credit and recognize your intelligence, beauty, luck or hard work, etc.
People like to show off because it gives them a sense of accomplishment. The act of showing off provides an instant sense of accomplishment. Humans are born with an innate desire for self-expression, and showing off is the extension of that instinct.
People like to show off because it makes them feel included in a group and rewarded for their efforts with the appreciation of others and their fascination with them. However, when one shows off to cause envy and jealousy in the hearts of others or to emphasize the big difference in status or wealth between themselves and others then it can become toxic for all involved.
The problem with showing off on social media:
With the advancement of social media, people have realized that they can now show off their achievements to the entire world, with the click of a button.
It can sometimes be a natural emotion that pushes people to want to show off the things they have. They want others to see how much better they are than those around them.
Psychologists have also found out that people who are inclined to show themselves off tend to be more narcissistic and self-absorbed. In a recent study, it was found that “narcissists are not just more likely to take selfies but also more likely to post them on social media.”
Bragging on social media or trying too hard to impress other people can make people unlikeable when done directly in a provocative way. But many get away with it when done with a smile on their face and when it shows that it comes from an innocent and excited desire to share with others information about what makes you happy.
This is why some people say that it’s okay when others want to show off their skills, accomplishments, or talents because they feel proud of them and want others to know how great they are or how hard they worked. Just as long as they don’t show off their houses, materialistic goods, or wealth, in an aggressive and mocking fashion for the less privileged, they may be followed and even loved on social media.
The only reason why showing off materialistic things is not well-received or regarded as a good thing on the internet is because less-privileged people can feel bad and sad, about not being able to afford a similar lifestyle. So the people that do this are perceived as being inconsiderate of others or of the less privileged.
Showing off to your family members:
1) Bragging about your own success:
Sometimes people feel that by bragging about their wealth they can make others jealous or envy them, which in turn makes them feel better or superior in some way. However, when this is done to your family members and relatives the cause could be different.
Sometimes, people who may have suffered from a bad childhood or horrible treatment in the past by their relatives are more likely to want to achieve more in life and to show off. That’s because they feel like nobody believed in their importance and value so they make it a point to want to prove others wrong about having wronged them.
This was explained in an earlier article about how having had a difficult childhood can sometimes be a motivating factor, and help you succeed and do better in life.
2) Bragging about your spouse’s success:
Another possibility is wanting to give credit to the man you chose and married and always enumerating all the good things he can do for you or how rich/smart he is. This is a way that daughters and sisters can try and give credit to their own selves for having “been chosen” by a similar “high-quality man”, for example.
Again, this type of showing off can be an attempt to prove your value to your parents possibly because you feel that didn’t do their best for you or didn’t believe in you or spoil you enough as a child.
If you’re this type of person you will also most likely be secretly jealous of your siblings or have had bad feelings, about anything that is done or has been done for them by your parents…
That’s because people who tend to show off to their parents or family with their spouse’s success or choice of a partner, try to prove their value to parents that they feel didn’t give them enough importance or believed in their siblings more than they did in them.
This type of bragging is not very harmful as it can sometimes just be a way to relax your parents’ minds. You may be trying to reassure them that you have a good spouse and that you are not suffering in secret in your marriage, by any means.
Bottom line:
People could feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in being able to purchase something that other people cannot afford. It is a way for them to feel better about themselves.
This type of behavior is not always the best. When it comes to social media it is mostly negative and toxic because it can be used as a weapon against others by bringing attention to our own wealth or lifestyle.
People who like to boast about their wealth are most likely those who have had less than their peers, from the beginning, and are struggling with self-worth issues.