Module 8: I Am Better Than You!

Important: Before you study this lesson please watch this video, “Why?“.  Example:  If you or your client are in a relationship and the other person displayed an attitude of not being “Truthful”, you’ll need to master, and you’ll need to educate your client the following: “Confront and Level!”,  “Assertive Communications!”, as well as “I Feel Good, PST!”.

Make sure to answer the questions at the end and follow the instructions for submission!

If you are a casual web surfer, chances are you might have seen tons of articles that teach how an individual can develop more confidence. And why not? After all, confidence is one of the crucial elements of an individual’s personality. Having confidence in oneself enables a person to explore and step outside his comfort zone. 

A confident person holds the ability to accept diverse experiences and learns from any given circumstance. When a person believes in his abilities and trusts himself, he holds the power to turn situations around.

While being confident gives you better control over your life and helps you make better decisions, there are some people who possess this trait in abundance. These individuals are often labeled as “overconfident”, people who overestimate their abilities. They believe that they can do anything and everything even though their skills and capabilities imply otherwise.

But then there is another category of people who believe that they are better than others. Who believe they are superior. These people tend to look down on others and love boasting about themselves. A sense of superiority makes a person live in illusion as well as denial. And this article is about them.

Let’s dig into “I am better than you” attitude a bit more. 

Why do people believe they are better than others?

There could be several reasons behind a person’s superiority complex. It could stem from newly achieved success, status, or could be a result of upbringing, past experiences, perceptions, or desires. Superiority could also be a result of inferiority complex. 

To cope with the sense of inferiority, people start indulging in superiority. People who struggle with low self-esteem or feel incompetent adopt this attitude as a defense mechanism. Another reason for superiority is multiple failures. People who fail repeatedly at a task start telling themselves that they are above it in order to deal with stress and the feeling of inadequacy.

But whatever the reason is, superiority comes with a price.

How “I am better than you” attitude affects an individual’s life?

When a person believes that he is better than others, he creates challenges for himself. Superiority complex comes with a lot of drawbacks and can cause plenty of hindrance in the personal growth of an individual. It makes a person brag about his minor achievements, pushes him to constantly seek attention, makes him hold an extremely high outlook about himself, and simply makes him think he is the smartest person in the room.

People who believe that they are better than everyone else are usually poor listeners who have a tough time handling perspectives and opinions of others around them. Instead of listening and being attentive, they keep on talking about themselves and their accomplishments, which also affects their social life and their personal life. Friends and relatives often end up labeling the self-proclaimed “superior” person as arrogant and overbearing and their close family members often find themselves struggling with their constant demand for recognition and applause.  

People who believe that they are superior also struggle in their workplace. Since they believe that they are better than everyone else, they hesitate to ask for help. In addition to this, they accept tasks they cannot handle and end up missing deadlines, which also results in some serious consequences. 

In addition to all the above, people who believe they are superior lack empathy and struggle to walk in other people’s shoes. Since they are always concerned about themselves and their accomplishments, they struggle when it comes to understanding the needs and desires of those around them. Apart from this, since they always have to prove themselves better, they find themselves nodding to responsibilities they either cannot handle, or they are not comfortable with. 

So, if there are so many consequences to believing that you are better than everyone else, wouldn’t it be better to stop cultivating this destructive attitude?

Breaking the habit:

People who believe that they are better than others or superior can take the following steps to rectify this attitude. It may take time, you might feel tempted to assert your superiority from time to time, but with patience and practice, this attitude can be corrected.

Be humble: Practicing humility can help you ditch the toxic pride. One can practice humility by being grateful, considering the opinions of others, and by being mindful of the needs of other people. 

Listen more: People who believe that they are superior tend to go on and on about themselves. But by doing this, they end up confining themselves into a box of ideas and thoughts. By being better at listening, they can allow themselves to explore diverse perspectives and different ideas that can help them grow and learn.

Practice empathy: Practicing empathy can help you walk in other people’s shoes and can also help you be considerate of the feelings and desires of others around you. 

Accept that you have weaknesses: Everyone has weaknesses. No one is perfect. But people who believe that they are better than everyone else have a hard time accepting this fact which hinders their growth. Accepting the fact that they have weaknesses just like everyone else can help them rectify this attitude and can enable them to learn more.

Don’t be over-critical: You might have a better way but that doesn’t make it the only way. Being critical of the ways of others and imposing your methods on them can make people feel annoyed. But by exploring diverse methods of doing things, you can pick up new ways and skills. 

Keep an open mind: There is nothing wrong with having an opinion but imposing your opinion on everyone else can make you come across as disrespectful. By keeping an open mind, you can consider the opinions of others while keeping yours forward.  

Have you ever felt superior? What made you correct this habit and what steps did you take? Have you ever met a person who felt superior to others? How was your experience?

The essay

Please write an essay, up to two pages, about a past experience you or someone you know thought or acted that you are better than others. Tell us in detail, who, what, when, where, why, to whom, the time, the place of what you did. The outcome! And tell us in detail how you could have changed that use from what you learned today so the outcome would have been good. Internalize this lesson. Make it become a part of you.  Share your story in the “Forums”

Our advice is for you to practice “Being humble” for at least a week. Tell others around you to point out any event in which you didn’t. Have them hold you accountable. Visit the “Forum” and do a “CONFESSION”.

What is a “CONFESSION”? A CONFESSION IS WHEN YOU’VE DISPLAYED A WRONG BEHAVIOR AND WERE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, PEERS, OR EVEN BY YOU. VISIT THE “FORUM” AND TELL US ABOUT IT.  WE WILL GIVE YOU FEEDBACK! MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ABOUT “CONFESSION” FOR MORE DETAILS! FURTHERMORE, BECOME A MEMBER OF THE FORUM AND GIVE FEEDBACK TO OTHERS.  “That’s how you gain practice in becoming a CERTIFIED LIFE COACH!

Read the article? Time to introspect!

Q1. Do you consider yourself better than everyone else? If yes, why?

Q2. Have you ever experienced superiority complex? What do you think contributed to this thought process?

Q3. Have you ever worked with someone suffering from superiority complex? How was your experience?

Q4. Would you call yourself a humble person? If yes, are there are traits that can justify your claim?

Q5. Would you say you have weaknesses? Can you list them out?

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/superiority-complex#symptoms

https://www.bustle.com/p/7-signs-someone-may-have-a-superiority-complex-17006240

This module includes the following:

• Introduction
• Why Become a Life Coach
• The Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
• Healthy Relationships
• Respect in a Relationship
• What is Love
• Bad Relationships
• Neglecting Others
• Being Selfish
• Low Self Esteem
• Self-Pity
• Jealousy
• The Dominator
• The Bully
• Manipulating Others
• Grandiosity
• I am Better Than You
• Abandoned as a Child
• Abandoned by My Children
• Forgiving Others
• Letting Go of Resentment
• Attitude Check & Confession
• Confront and Level
• I Feel Good, PST™
• Why?

There is no way any relationship will survive without having the qualities mentioned above.

Make sure to read each article carefully at least three time. Print your workbook (will be available per lesson.)  Answer all questions and enter them in your workbook. Once you have completed this entire journey, you will be issued a Life Coach Certificate so long as you’ve been a member of the “Forums.”

Also, follow the instruction for sharing your story in our Forums as well as participating in our “Forums,” especially our unique “Confessions Forum” so you may gain practice, knowledge, experience, and expertise!

I am thankful that you have given me this opportunity to share all of this with you. May God bless you and bring prosperity and peace into your life.

Respectfully yours,

George Tannous, PhD