Careful with Hiding your Success and Being Modest
🔥 Being modest about your achievements or successes may seem like a nice trait to most people, depending on the culture perhaps.
But Roberts et al. found from 8 experiments, in both public and private settings, and for both family, business and romantic relationships, that modesty can actually backfire on you. Because although those who hide their achievements are perceived as more modest than those who shared it, they are also seen as less competent and less warm. I think one possible explanation for this could perhaps be the mechanisms described in the
Johari Window.
Anyway, according to the researchers individuals often hide their successes from others but such hiding has relational costs. Apparently people who receive such communications by a successful person can feel envious (jealous) and happy for the other person's success at the same time. "Sharing one's accomplishments with others is superior to hiding for maintaining one's relationships."
Source: Roberts A.R., Levine E.E. and Sezer O., "Hiding Success", Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 120(5), 1261–1286.
All of the mentioned studies were conducted in the
United States. I think people from the US have a more positive attitude towards "selling your achievements" than Europeans or Asian people do.
⇨ So… How is modesty viewed in your country? For example when applying for a job, when presenting the successful results of some project to the management team, or when presenting your company to stakeholders or investors.