Some people are very ego driven. At first glance they may seem strong and confident, but in reality that is usually just a facade. You can recognize such people by these statements.
We easily confuse mental strength with an (over)large ego. This especially happens when the person manages to portray themselves as particularly strong. But true inner strength doesn’t lie in convincing other people how great we are and getting our way at all costs. These things are often more related to a big ego. These statements are typical of ego-driven people.
You often hear these 5 sentences from people with big egos
1. “I knew that.”
There are people who constantly have to prove to everyone what they know and can do. If someone wants to explain something to them and shares something that they may have just learned themselves, they often only get a very condescending answer, perhaps “I already knew that.” Instead of being happy for the other person or admitting that they couldn’t or didn’t know something, they have to keep up the appearance of being better than everyone else.
2. “I told you that straight away.”
“I don’t really want to say it, but to be honest, I told you that straight away.” To be clear: The person LOVES saying this. She can’t resist telling the other person very clearly that she knows everything better – even what is right for the other person. Of course, we may all have thought something like this when someone around us ignores our advice. But anyone who actually utters this verbal slap in the face is primarily trying to push their own ego.
3. “Do you actually know who I am?”
Some people think they are better than others. They think that some random circumstance of their birth (country, family, financial situation), role in the family, or professional position makes them worth more than someone else. However, this feeling of being better is usually simply based on an inflated ego. Phrases like “Do you even know who you’re dealing with here?” are intended to reinforce that the person is above others. In fact, they are just showing how big their ego is.
4. “This is too mainstream for me.”
When we think of status symbols, we usually think of big cars, expensive watches and decadent home furnishings. In reality, anything can be a symbol of something that we use to differentiate ourselves from others and consolidate our status in a certain group. People who constantly emphasize that they would never watch this or that series because it is “much too mainstream”, while they only watch literary adaptations and arte documentaries (or even better: don’t have a television at all), are obviously really into it necessary to emphasize how cool and special they are.
5. “It’s not my fault.”
A typical characteristic of people with big egos is their inability to admit mistakes. Admit they did something wrong? Never! Someone might think she’s weak! Admitting mistakes is a sign of great strength. However, ego-driven people don’t see it that way and prefer to try desperately to distract from it when they’ve made a mistake.
Sources used: hackspirit.com, psychologytoday.com