Dealing with a deeply conceited individual can be challenging, to say the least. 

These people feel like they are superior to everyone else and often display a very closed attitude towards learning and life experiences. 

If you have a person (or people) in your life who are rubbing you the wrong way, you may feel guilty for judging them. Are they really as grating and arrogant as they seem to be?

Here are some behaviors that suggest you’re dealing with a deeply conceited person.

1) Bragging and boasting

Watch out for a person who can’t stop talking about how great they are. 

They weave it into every second thing they say in one way or another, seeking the spotlight and praising their own greatness. 

It’s exhausting and it’s deeply egotistical. 

If you come across a person who is constantly boasting about their achievements, talents, or possessions, you can be sure they are deeply conceited. 

2) No real empathy and connection 

The thing about extremely arrogant people is that they have real difficulty understanding or showing concern for the feelings and experiences of others.

The reason is that their focus is primarily on themselves. 

For this reason, they have no real empathy or connection with others and often live a very lonely existence behind closed doors. 

They just don’t care that much about anyone but themselves, and this is ultimately an empty way to live. 

This ties into the next point:

3) Difficulty building non-transactional relationships

Arrogant folks tend to really struggle to form deep and meaningful connections because of their tendency to put themselves first. 

They expect to “get” something for whatever they give, which can lead to a very short-sighted mentality in business and in their personal life. 

Yes, they often succeed in the short-term, but long-term these kinds of aggressive folks tend to push people away. 

4) Strong sense of entitlement 

Conceited individuals go around expecting special treatment or privileges without regard for others.

They do so based on their perceived superiority, or at least the feeling they have about their superiority. 

“I’m the best, so I deserve A, B, C and D.”

When they don’t get what they deserve? They throw a tantrum and play the victim, lashing out with words and actions to try to get back what they’re convinced is their birthright.

5) Hijacking conversations

Conceited people are always steering conversations toward topics that highlight their achievements or experiences, without showing interest in others’ perspectives. 

That’s because they don’t have an interest in the views or experiences of others. 

They consider themselves to already know everything and have no need to find out more from somebody else. 

If they have something to say they just barge in and say it, regardless of whether they’re interrupting or being rude.

6) Ignoring the views of others

Dismissing or ignoring others’ opinions, beliefs, or experiences that do not align with their own is a common practice by conceited people. 

They don’t give much weight to the views of other people, unless they align exactly with their own or add support to a point they’re making. 

They just don’t care much about other people. And if somebody expresses a different point of view? 

7) Intolerance toward different opinions

Egotistical folks don’t take well to different opinions. 

They often display impatience or intolerance when confronted with opinions or perspectives that differ from their own. 

They will generally lash out and try to invalidate what is said if it doesn’t line up exactly with their already existing beliefs. 

Differing opinions and respectful disagreement simply isn’t permitted. 

8) Belittling and insulting others

Conceited people can be found regularly making condescending remarks or belittling others to maintain a sense of superiority. 

It’s sad to see, but it’s all around us in society:

Work colleagues who feel the need to put us down, relationship partners with catty comments and constant put-downs. 

It’s sad, but conceited people just can’t seem to resist throwing shade whenever possible. 

9) Lashing out at any criticism

Conceited people can dish it out, but they can’t take it. 

They usually react very defensively or dismissively when faced with criticism, even when it’s constructive.

They don’t respond well to any critique, and go overboard in getting “payback” and insulting whoever criticized them. 

It’s juvenile, but it’s very much observable.

10) Constantly seeking validation

Conceited folks can be found seeking constant affirmation and validation from others to reinforce their inflated self-image. 

They want to be told how great they are and reinforced in their view that they are the king of the castle. 

This often points at an inner insecurity they are trying to overcompensate for. But just because they have insecurity, why does it mean the rest of us should pay for it?

11) Vanity and a fixation on appearance

Deeply conceited people love mirrors. 

They are often overly focusing on physical appearance and presenting a carefully crafted image to project an idealized version of themselves. 

They need to look the best and have the best clothes on to reflect the view they have of themselves as an extraordinarily worthwhile and wonderful person. 

12) Egotism and delusions of grandeur

Exaggerating their importance, talents, or achievements to create an impression of superiority is common practice for the conceited individual. 

In their own mind they are Napolean riding on his horse or Steve Jobs starting Apple. 

In real life they’re a self-important person making other people’s lives worse. It’s hard to be around somebody who has a completely inflated view of themselves. 

13) One-upmanship and petty behavior

Conceited people are always thinking up ways to outdo others by sharing stories or experiences that are meant to overshadow or diminish others’ achievements. 

They may tell outright lies, and perform small sabotaging actions at work or in many contexts to try to be “better” than others. 

They have no moral qualms about getting to their goal, which is to feel more special and worthy than everyone else. 

14) Competitiveness at inappropriate times

Turning even casual or non-competitive situations into opportunities to showcase their perceived superiority is a hallmark of the overly conceited person. 

Even just a friendly chat about what they’re up to with a friend can turn into a rundown of how much revenue their business is now taking in, or in subtly taking digs at their friend about his or her career choice. 

It’s not even the time to be like this at all, but they take every opportunity to showcase themselves in a competitive and combative way, even to friends and allies. 

15) Exploiting and manipulating people

Conceited people feel no shame in taking advantage of others to fulfill their own needs or desires.

They do so without genuine consideration for the well-being of those around them. 

They’re often narcissistic and only care about their own glory and advancement. 

If that means taking advantage of a few people along the way they have no problem with that at all. 

What next?

So, it’s not just your imagination:

They are indeed an incredibly arrogant person. But what are you supposed to do about it?

It can help to understand the roots of a superiority complex, which often rests on a certain entitlement and feeling of “deserving” to win and use others at any cost to achieve their aims. 

As Psychology Professor Emerita Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. writes: 

“Since the arrogant care more about winning than about friendship, your relationship with people whose personalities prime them to seek victory is likely to be rocky. 

“Rather than letting them get to you or walk all over you, remember that they’ve gotten this way for a reason.”

Dealing with a conceited individual requires careful navigation and setting boundaries to protect your own well-being. 

It’s important to approach such situations with empathy and assertiveness, promoting healthy communication and mutual respect.

If you’re not getting that respect, sometimes confrontation is inevitable. 

You need to have your own boundaries that you won’t allow to be crossed for any reason, and arrogant people sometimes need to be told to their face that you aren’t only there to serve them.