On self-promoting and bragging
Recently I read an article about how to self-promote without being annoying. In it, a difference is made between self-promoting and bragging. Specifically, it’s recommended that to avoid coming across as “braggy” in self-promotion one must include a lot of facts and information instead of indulging in “bravado.”
At first, that sounded like solid advice to me. But as I thought about it I realized that there’s no meaningful way to apply these pointers because they’re based on a false premise.
While certain kinds of bragging don’t qualify as self-promotion, self-promotion always involves bragging.
Self-promotion is part of our innate need for validation. In order to self-promote, one has to be:
1) CERTAIN of the contribution one’s work makes to society.
2) PROUD enough of one’s achievements to want everyone to know about them.
3) UNAFRAID of how people will judge one for sharing accomplishments.
And refusing to see that self-promotion is always bragging is dangerous. It leads a person to self-promote without thinking through both how it’s useful and how it can do the opposite of what it intends to do.
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CATEGORIES: - Business of art -
(2) Comments / Commentaires: On self-promoting and bragging
It can certainly go too far, but if one doesn’t believe in one’s work no one else can either.
David...
I like the idea of being certain about one’s work because then the act of bragging becomes contributing and offering value to the community at large.
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