Big Mouth Masking a Bad Reality

The barbed remarks, dressed up as banter, started just as I was being introduced. It was a business associate's birthday drinks and an ideal environment for networking...true networking and business relationship building.

The man concerned was middle aged. His wildly random hair and crumpled dress sense, coupled with a look of determined uneasiness, matched his manner and personality.

The woman who introduced us was surprised by his behaviour. He was trying to be funny, but wasn't. He was also trying to impress our attractive mutual friend. He failed.

I didn't take offence, just an interest in his reason for acting in the chippy way he did so quickly when meeting him. This became even more interesting when, in mid-stilted monologue, Chippy Chap suddenly stopped talking and held out his hand as a gesture of fake chumminess.

He then told me he was what I initially thought he said was a "bit player" in IT. When I asked him to confirm what he had uttered, he told me, without irony, that he was a "big player" in IT who worked all over the world doing great things!

Chippy Chap then left us with an awkward passing comment that our female friend was far more attractive company to me than he was. He had a  point, socially, as much as anything else.

She then turned to me to apologise for his odd behaviour and then subsequently admitted that he had major money problems. His big mouth was masking a big problem and the confident attitude he protrayed was as false as his claims to personal and professional greatness.

So when you think someone seems to have heaps of confidence and more besides, try to understand their reality. The irony is that your reality will often give them more confidence than theirs will.