Ok so riddle me this

I like me. I have a lot of things I am working on, and a lot of things i love just the way they are.

I guess I don't spend a lot of time talking about either. I work on what I work on, and I am grateful for everything else.

But i do think that as a society - 'we' (group we), look down upon people who are all like 'i'm awesome'. Even though we may not on an individual level, self-confidence is not something I feel our society thinks is a virtue.

...in the middle and lower classes.

I once worked at a private bank (where the billionaires go). Confidence, swagger, hell even arrogance is a value instilled even at a young age. It is a detriment not to have it at that societal level.

 You are very right.

I remember back in the day when I spent quite a bit of time with the richy rich.  Can I just say it drove me nuts?  The arrogance was insane.  I like real people.

I remember being taught that 'nobody likes a braggart.'  Society says you don't toot your own horn excpet on resumes and in job interviews.  In my profession (education), talking about your successes is a two-edged sword; sharing what worked for you is good but others can take it the wrong way and see you as boastful and a 'know-it-all'.  We can all immediately think of someone we see as a know-it-all and you're thinking of them right now, aren't you???!!!    I never want someone to think of me that way.

I think this played, and continues to play, into how I would react to a question that asks me to name the good things about myself.  I feel very uncomfortable answering it out loud.  It's not that I don't have those qualities or I can't recognize them in myself, it's just that putting voice to them seems wrong. 

I missed your poll but I will respond now.  I am an excellent educator because I can explain things to students in ways that are simple (in math no less!) and they really get it.  I inspire my students to be more than they ever thought they could be.  I am compassionate and generous to the point that it gets me in trouble some times.  I am super friendly and meeting new people is one of my favorite activities.  I am adventurous and love my life of living overseas with tons of new experiences all the time.  And I've been this way for the last 15 years, at least.

Now this last paragraph has really stretched me.  Writing it out still seems wrong but it helps me to reflect on my strengths and be very greatful to an awesome God and Lord who created me in His image.

Thanks for this, Nik!

 Oh the poll was eons ago. And I never asked again because of the response I got. 

I get the humbleness aspect. I am an extrovert (even Meyers and Briggs say so) which is probably why it is easy for me do these types of things. I am also the child of a woman who complimented me shamelessly and over-celebrated anything I ever did in life. 

Like Lady Lithia, I was always "the smart one"... even when I was just a little chubby... My brothers were the ones who were the good looking, athletic ones. I didn't like to run and jump even as a kid.  I would rather be reading.  As someone else mentioned, I also remember vividly the one time my father "joked" about taking me to see "Omar the tent maker" to get school clothes (at that point, I was still just overweight but knocking on the door to being obese).  Because my initial weight problem was some overall chubbiness to go with the muscular thighs and big boobs (which I knew I couldn't to anything about and I recognized as just who I was), I internalized many of the negative messages about the supposed character weaknesses of "fat people".  Most of my self-esteem came from my intelligence and school/work accomplishments.

As a result of those things, and having been raised by a Marine who demanded that his children be responsible, conscientious, and independent, I have NO problem being proud of -- and stating -- that I am very intelligent (I have 3 Master's degrees (one from Vanderbilt), am working on the dissertation for my PhD, and am a card-carrying Mensa member), independent, strong, conscientious, and loyal.  That is pretty much where it ends, though.  It's much harder for me to talk about my positive more "personal" qualities, especially after internalizing some of the horrible things that the men who assaulted me said about me (the fact that I was a complete stranger and these men are lowlife scum notwithstanding). Therapy is helping, but it is still very hard for me to say positive things about my "heart"/personality traits.

Lora