It’s Not What You Think.

In a random PuG today, I had a bit of an epiphany. I find that whenever someone (anyone, not just someone in WoW) says “I’m really good at X”, I immediately become convinced that they are not particularly good at X. The reason for this is twofold:

First, people that are good at things rarely feel the need to tell others that they are. It’s the whole “actions speak louder than words” bit. If you’re truly good at something, you don’t need to tell others about it, you can just do it. Most often it as a rather lame attempt to convince others, and maybe even yourself, that you have some worth in whatever field is in question.

Second, everything is relative. It’s a bit arrogant to assume that because you, or even you and your really close friends think you’re awesome it must be so. There’s always someone better out there, and generally there’s lots of someones. I’ll use myself as an example. I think I am a good healer (there I go, breaking my own rule). I think anyone that has grouped with me would admit, perhaps in some cases begrudgingly that this is the case. And I’ve grouped with a lot of people. Therefor, one would think it valid to conclude that I am a good healer? Not so much. See, I group with people on Feathermoon, or in the Cyclone battlegroup.  I may be in the top 10% here. But if I go over to, say, Mal’Ganis where they /Trade PuG Algaon kills, I would likely be a distinctly middling healer. Maybe even a bad one (though I hope that at this time I’m beyond the point where anyone is going to say “Man, that Zalbuu guy is such a baddie!”)

Like every rule, there are exceptions, and this one has ones on multiple fronts. If you’re one of those that enjoys proclaiming your mad skills though, maybe try mixing it up. Next time, instead of telling them, just… show them.