This week, a viral Reddit thread asked users: "What screams 'I'm very insecure'?"
The thread quickly went viral, as thousands of users started chiming in with their thoughts on telltale signs of insecurity. Here are some of the realest responses:
1. "Constantly wedging 'humblebrags' into conversations."
2. "Automatically assuming negative intent. For example: Your friend didn't pick your call? 'Fuck her, she's trying to avoid me. I don't care about her anyway.'"
3. "Trying to dominate conversations (not to be confused with just being a charismatic person)."
4. "When people have and insist on constantly checking on their S.O. via some tracking app on their phone. It's one thing to have it in case of emergency, but using it while out with your friends to make sure he's actually at work is creepy and super insecure."
5. "I deal with insecure moms a lot, either at the playground or in mommy groups. They’re insecure about what milestones their child is hitting and how they are doing as a mother. One of the biggest tells is when they brag about something that’s clearly a lie: 'My 3-year-old is reading at a first-grade level!'" Okay, but he’s eating grass right now and just pooped himself."
6. "People who always have to one-up you in everything. If you tell a story, they have a better one. If you buy something expensive, they have to buy something even more expensive. Some people’s whole life is trying to win some nonexistent competition."
7. "Just not shutting up about yourself. Constantly lifting yourself up and comparing yourself to others, while pushing them down."
8. "All those people who post quotes on Facebook that are like: ‘Don’t worry about those who talk behind your back, they’re behind you for a reason.'"
9. "I used to be very insecure so I'll go from my own experience. Lying about something to seem cool. It's very obviously a signal of insecurity because they don't like who they are now."
10. "Bragging about things not even in your control, like your parents' wealth."
11. "People who feel the need to judge everyone in a negative light and who only want to see the worst in others so they can feel better about themselves. It just shows how unhappy they truly are."
12. "This one is a self-roast but I think I degrade myself just to hear others deny it. Is that insecure?"
13. "Being incapable of self-reflection."
14. "Bullying people. You don't try to bring other people down if you truly feel good about yourself."
15. "The more you talk about how good you are in bed and how many women you've fucked, the less I believe you."
16. "I’ve found that a lot of the people on Twitter who feel the need to post about how great of a person they are and how they have nothing but good intentions are usually the most toxic people I’ve seen."
17. "Living in the suburbs and getting a giant lifted pickup truck for the sole purpose of intimidating other drivers and driving like a jackass."
—0w1
18. "Posting what you're up to every day on social media."
And finally...
19. "People who automatically assume that if you disagree with them, it must be for personal reasons. Simply not true."
So, what are YOUR telltale signs that somebody's insecure? Sound off in the comments.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.