Declaring a brag
“I am going to brag now.”
I now declare when I am bragging. It does make bragging way more satisfying.
It also makes it more obvious.
To myself: To hear me say what I am about to do, helps me notice what I am trying to achieve. To others: It primes them to take it for what it is. No more and no less.
The interaction feels more honest. The responses too.