"It's so frustrating to go outside because everyone's always hitting on me—even when I wear sweatpants."
Did you cringe a little bit just from reading that? That's probably because it's a 'humblebrag'—the art of couching self-promotion with a thin film of 'woe-is-me' complaining.
Michael Norton, professor at the Harvard Business School, has spent a lot of time thinking about the art of the humblebrag. The term, originally coined by "Parks and Recreation" actor Harris Wittels, has spawned an insanely popular Twitter account that compiles choice examples from all over the web. Take these recent gems, for example:
Oh dear. Don’t know what to do at the airport. Huge crowd, but I’ll miss my plane if I stop and do photos … oh dear don’t want to disappoint
I just won an ACM, but don't worry I'm still stuck like everyone else in a Taco Bell drive-thru right now. @ACMAwards #ACMs
So Norton decided to study how people react to hearing humblebrags like these. Was the faux humility fooling anyone?
Turns out—no. Not at all.
"It turns out bragging and complaining, we don't like those people. But we like both of them better than those who humblebrag," said Norton. "Just saying, 'I'm frustrated and irritated 'is more likeable than doing the sneaky humblebragging—that's how bad it is."
At the heart of the distaste for the humblebrag is insincerity, Norton says.
"If you do this sneaky, 'I'm pretending I"m not famous and I'm not frustrated,' then not only are you bragging, but you're also insincere. And I like you even less," he said.
To hear more from Michael Norton, tune in to Boston Public Radio, above.
