Human Peacocking's definitions

Stigma brag

To brag, highlight, or bring attention to something that is stigmatized, lowly, common, or otherwise commonly unworthy of popular status. Examples include bragging about failures, past trauma, illnessed, hardships, etc.

There goes that super rich politician stigma bragging about how hard his childhood was in order to get further attention & sympathy.

by Human Peacocking May 11, 2023

Neuro-Bullshit

Reference to some neurological study or brain imaging study or MRI study or 'the brain points light up here' study which has value implications about something super complex, but is used by a speaker to baffle their audience, claim expertise, and make a point that can't be refuted (unless the audience is neuroscientists).

Look at that speaker putting all that Neuro-Bullshit on the presentation screen at the start of their lecture in order to convince us that what they're saying about how people behave is right. They're not a neuroscientists and neither are we, why are they showing us brain photos?!

by Human Peacocking March 5, 2024

Pedigree Mimic

A person who pretends to have credentials or background experience or a pedigree that they don't actually have. For example, they did a month course at Harvard and put 'Harvard graduate' on their profiles. Technically this is true, but the audience assumes a broader pedigree than the person actually has.

Tom's resume was selected because he's was pedigree mimicing and included that week harvard class in his resume.

by Human Peacocking July 7, 2023

Davos Effect

The Davos effect refers to when two high status people walk towards each other with no idea who is higher or should get out of the other's way.

It happens in environments where there are very high status people but with no hierarchical context or idea of who the others are.

The term was coined for the World Economic Forum (WEF), held in Davos. Because high status attendees are not allowed to bring an entourage, no one knows who is higher in status and they habitually walk into each other because everyone refuses to give way.

Those two CEOs just showed the Davos Effect, they walked directly into each other, neither knew who should get out of the other's way!

by Human Peacocking January 23, 2024

Veneer Career

The socially respectable and seemingly profitable job or career that a wealthy person claims to have to hide the fact that they don't really work or make money and instead coast off their savings, inheritance, or other handouts.

For example someone might claim to be a 'designer' though no one buys anything they make and they live off their parents, or someone might say they're an 'investor' but they don't invest any money or do anything to make profit.

Such claimed careers and jobs give status and recognition to someone who would otherwise be classified as unemployed or idle.

He claims he's an investor but that's just his veneer career, he just comes from a rich family and spends his parents money but doesn't do anything otherwise. His sister's veneer clothing is a handbag line she puts out which has 2 customers: her parents.

by Human Peacocking December 12, 2024

Tenure brag

When someone brags about how long they've been doing something - It is generally an age/time related brag ("I've been doing this since you were in diapers!") but can also be the number of times they've done it ("this is my 15th time at burning man!"), etc.

We made it about 15 minutes into the neighborhood meeting before Tom started tenure bragging about how he's lived on that street the longest!

by Human Peacocking May 14, 2023

Hustle Brag

(verb)
To brag about the high amount of effort that one puts into an activity
To emphasize that you work harder than other people, sacrifice while others are consuming, and otherwise have put in more effort, likely leading to well deserved or earned success.

He wrote some hustle bragging post on linked-in about he only sleeps 3 hours a day and works the rest

by Human Peacocking April 18, 2023