Folks with Over Inflated Opinions of themselves

A new term that I have learnt from my boss is "Over Inflated Opinion". He is fond of saying something along the lines of .."His problem is that he has an over inflated opinion of himself". Funnily enough at the same time of me learning this new term, I begin to see it a lot in a couple of people I work with. There are two individuals that particularly stand out. Without giving too much away as to who they are (in case they stumble onto this blog), they are as follows,


Individual A has been around these parts for like..when time began, or so he likes to think. He is also very actively involved in his religious activities and to give credit where it's due, is also very good at his job. However as a result of all this, I feel individual A has been besotted with a certain sense of high handed pride. He is not directly boastful, but he is very good at subtly inserting self praise into his conversations and it doesn't help that he seems to be in love with the sound of his own voice. He is also fiercely protective of what he's supposed to do and what he feels he's not. I guess generally this is a good trait in itself but if you're part of a team, well... if you're deep set in your ways and resistant to change, this means you're probably on your way out already. Just the same, Individual A is already set for retirement soon. He probably expects to be exalted at his going away do and to hear laments that the office will not function as well without him (which is probably true by the way). But when he starts, man he can just verbally squash anyone else's voice with his heavy authoritative, self righteous conviction that borders on a church reading of a squeally voice that all I want to do is to tell him to shut the %&*# up.

Individual B. Individual B probably feels that because he has been giving a great opportunity for advancement amongst his peers, this puts him on an elevated pedestral with given rights to act like a Mister Know It All when he himself requires guidance and correction. With people he feels that are lower in station than himself, he acts like you are inconsequential. Like Indivdual A, Individual B also has a certain self conviction about himself. However unlike individual A, if you can be proven wrong, then this makes it all the more galling! It leaves me smirking on the inside actually to see this happen.

But hey, I get my pay every month so who am I to argue? :)