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The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

lesspenguiny.com

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Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#41

Post by baxtr »

netcan wrote: post #39
baxtr wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course marketing on your own behalf is helpful, but I’ve found that the most successful people don’t brag about their achievements. Instead, somehow they get other people to talk about their merits within the organization.

This easily gets to a semantic argument. Bragging is making your achievements known. Bragging poorly is doing this in a way that's too obvious & grating to the listener. If you're accused of bragging, this means you are bragging poorly.

Well, that’s only true when talking about past achievements is the only tool to get people excited about you.

But superiors working with you, observing you in action, will come to a conclusion too.

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#42

Post by malmsteen »

the_clarence wrote: post #19
ashelmire wrote: post #12

The unfortunate reality is that if you don’t sing your own praises, you will miss out on opportunities in life. Most people don’t have the time to really pay attention to what you’re doing (bosses, interviewers, dating interests, etc), so you have to make them aware - or you’re just off in the corner being unseen.

This. Had a colleague who kept telling everyone how good he was doing. He started at the same time a lot of us did but got promoted extremely quickly.

Correlation doesnt imply causation though

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#43

Post by maxxxxx »

amelius wrote: post #18
ashelmire wrote: post #12

The unfortunate reality is that if you don’t sing your own praises, you will miss out on opportunities in life. Most people don’t have the time to really pay attention to what you’re doing (bosses, interviewers, dating interests, etc), so you have to make them aware - or you’re just off in the corner being unseen.

Or you have to be so good that nobody can ignore you.

That's bullshit. If you don't promote yourself you will always wonder why others who aren't as good advance in life while you stand still and are taken advantage of.

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#44

Post by maxxxxx »

saiya-jin wrote: post #31
amelius wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you have to be so good that nobody can ignore you.

It may work in smaller companies, but in corporations this often ain't true. Marketing beats raw skills easily, since those promoting/increasing salary are usually quite far from technical aspects of daily life.

Exactly. If you don't make sure that you get credit for your own work others happily will do so and reap the benefits.

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#45

Post by maxxxxx »

baxtr wrote: post #23
ashelmire wrote: post #12

The unfortunate reality is that if you don’t sing your own praises, you will miss out on opportunities in life. Most people don’t have the time to really pay attention to what you’re doing (bosses, interviewers, dating interests, etc), so you have to make them aware - or you’re just off in the corner being unseen.

Of course marketing on your own behalf is helpful, but I’ve found that the most successful people don’t brag about their achievements. Instead, somehow they get other people to talk about their merits within the organization.

Some people are smoother than others but they still do something to make sure they get noticed.

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#46

Post by less_penguiny »

brianmcc wrote: post #28

Hi less_penguiny - absolutely loved this article . Brilliant writing. I'm also finding myself thinking a lot about social interactions, especially the dumb nonsense vast swathes of our populations carry out, and being currently in the middle of Desmond Morris "Human Zoo" (brilliant, slightly dated, but you'll love it if you're not familiar) your piece really struck a chord - particularly with "Bragging is personally…

Wow thanks for the praise! The positive response here has been deeply affirming — I'm sitting at my coworking space with the real-time Google Analytics tab open and a grin on my face the width of Texas.

I've got a mailing list: https://www.lesspenguiny.com/email_subscribers/new

Both Twitter and Facebook suspended my newly created accounts for this project – I think they took offense to my entering first name "Less", surname: "Penguiny"

Funny aside: Facebook's tool to un-suspend my account asked me to submit a photo. I uploaded a photo of a penguin, since that's my profile photo, the only one they have of me in their system.

"Sorry, your photo could not be recognized".

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#47

Post by brianmcc »

less_penguiny wrote: post #46
brianmcc wrote: post #28

Hi less_penguiny - absolutely loved this article . Brilliant writing. I'm also finding myself thinking a lot about social interactions, especially the dumb nonsense vast swathes of our populations carry out, and being currently in the middle of Desmond Morris "Human Zoo" (brilliant, slightly dated, but you'll love it if you're not familiar) your piece really struck a chord - particularly with "Bragging is personally…

Wow thanks for the praise! The positive response here has been deeply affirming — I'm sitting at my coworking space with the real-time Google Analytics tab open and a grin on my face the width of Texas. I've got a mailing list: https://www.lesspenguiny.com/email_subscribers/new Both Twitter and Facebook suspended my newly created accounts for this project – I think they took offense to my entering first name "Less",…

I have now subscribed! What ideas you thinking about for your next pieces?

And what are your goals if you don't mind me asking, I mean I don't see any obvious monetization stuff on your site? If you get 10m views a month does that help you avoid rejoining the rat race or are you not really thinking so far ahead yet?

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#48

Post by baxtr »

maxxxxx wrote: post #45
baxtr wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course marketing on your own behalf is helpful, but I’ve found that the most successful people don’t brag about their achievements. Instead, somehow they get other people to talk about their merits within the organization.

Some people are smoother than others but they still do something to make sure they get noticed.

It's called "work" ;) People are not stupid. They will observe and than judge.

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#49

Post by less_penguiny »

brianmcc wrote: post #47
less_penguiny wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow thanks for the praise! The positive response here has been deeply affirming — I'm sitting at my coworking space with the real-time Google Analytics tab open and a grin on my face the width of Texas. I've got a mailing list: https://www.lesspenguiny.com/email_subscribers/new Both Twitter and Facebook suspended my newly created accounts for this project – I think they took offense to my entering first name "Less",…

I have now subscribed! What ideas you thinking about for your next pieces? And what are your goals if you don't mind me asking, I mean I don't see any obvious monetization stuff on your site? If you get 10m views a month does that help you avoid rejoining the rat race or are you not really thinking so far ahead yet?

I'm at a juncture – my last project wound down and I'm considering where to take my career next.

Basically my main two options are:

* start another technical company and go all-in

* freelance half of the time, spend the other half on the LessPenguiny project. Monetization would be nice, but it isn't necessary. I'd sacrifice cash for impact in this area.

As for future pieces, I've analyzing my data (about 2000 observations, already coded) and I've got a lot of material on:

* why some people seem so impossibly warm

* how conversations get started between strangers (not in a pick-up way, but more in a normal day-to-day way)

* why some people are fascinating conversationalists

* compliments — are they good or do they make people uncomfortable?

Re: The Best Article Ever Written About Bragging

#50

Post by jasonmaydie »

excellent read. My brother in law has been extremely successful with real estate from his single apartment beginnings, nowadays when we meet and I ask him "how are you" he replies "I'm blessed".

dude I know you have a lot of money, I just wanted to know if you were sick or something. smh

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