No one likes a person who acts high and mighty, regardless of their position of authority. Biting back is a common reflex reaction in such scenarios. However, as this story shows, you can respond in other ways that send a stronger message.

A teacher was attending a training session while his wife recuperated from injuries in the hospital. As he momentarily paused to take care of family matters, a school district employee jumped in and told him to “get his priorities straight.” 

Irked by what he heard, the author sternly informed the employee about his situation before walking off. He now shares his story with the Malicious Compliance subreddit while sending a “special shoutout” to his fellow teachers who may have gone through a similar experience.

It never feels good to be bossed around by someone, especially by people in authority

Image credits: RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo)

A teacher dealt with a condescending school district employee during a training session

Image credits: voronaman111 / envato (not the actual photo)

Instead of biting back, he took a different approach that sent a stronger message

Image credits: Ancient_Educator_76

A superiority complex could be a sign of a deeper personality disorder

Image credits: Afif Ramdhasuma / pexels (not the actual photo)

The woman that the author dubbed “Miss Low Glasses” may have exhibited signs of a superiority complex.

Austrian psychotherapist Alfred Adler first coined the term in the early 1900s to define a person’s behavior that shows a conflated perception of their significance, skills, and accomplishments. 

According to Adler, a person may develop a superiority complex to mask feelings of inferiority. He says upbringing may likewise be a contributing factor. It could be in how they were treated as children or what they witnessed growing up.

Narcissistic personality disorder is another possible reason. Part of the many criteria for NPD is expecting recognition as superior, “even without commensurate achievements.” 

In the case of “Miss Low Glasses,” she felt compelled to tell the author to “get his priorities straight,” even though she wasn’t in a position to do so and didn’t fully understand his situation. 

Direct communication is a must when handling someone acting high and mighty

Image credits: Yan Krukau / pexels (not the actual photo)

Direct communication would make the most sense when dealing with someone with a superiority complex. Especially in a professional setting, it helps to let the other person know how they came across. 

However, it is also important to do it diplomatically. In this case, California-based psychologist Dr. Andrea Polard advises taking a more pacifying approach. 

“Use disarming sentences such as, ‘Forgive me for interrupting, but…’, or ‘Maybe you did not mean to sound arrogant/hurt my feelings/come across as if you are 100 percent right, but…’” Dr. Polard wrote in an article published in Psychology Today. 

The author took a more straightforward approach, which worked in his favor. While his tone was serious, he didn’t fight fire with fire, which could have made him appear rude and put him in a worse position overall. 

Readers, it’s your turn. Did the author handle the problem correctly? What else could he have done?

The author shared similar scenarios, but most commenters agreed with what he did

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