As someone who has known my friend for years, I have always admired his intelligence and drive to succeed. From a young age, he was determined to achieve great things and worked tirelessly towards his goals. So when he finally graduated with a degree in business management, I was ecstatic for him.

Hao Lian

However, as time went by, I started to notice a pattern in his behavior that bothered me. My friend would constantly bring up his degree in conversations, almost as if he was trying to prove his superiority over others. He would talk about the prestigious university he attended, the high grades he received, and the job opportunities that were now open to him because of his degree.

At first, I brushed it off as him being proud of his accomplishments, and I was happy to see him confident and successful. But the more he talked about his degree, the more I started to feel like he was trying to prove something. It was almost as if he was using it as a shield to hide his insecurities.

One day, while we were hanging out, my friend made a comment about how he was “too good” to do certain things because he had a degree.

As time went by, I started to notice that my friend’s constant need to show off his degree was not just limited to conversations.

Trying too hard to impress

I couldn’t help but wonder, why was he trying so hard to prove his worth through his degree? It was almost as if he was seeking validation from others, and it made me question the authenticity of our friendship. Did he really care about me as a friend, or was I just another person he could brag to about his degree?

But what bothered me the most was that while my friend was busy showing off his degree, his financial situation was far from impressive. He would often complain about not having enough money, and I would see him constantly borrowing from others. One day, while we were out shopping, I noticed that his bank account balance was less than $100. I was taken aback. How could someone who constantly boasted about their degree be struggling financially?

Poor like beggar

I later found out that my friend had taken out a huge loan to finance his education, and he was struggling to pay it off. He had also accumulated credit card debt from his lavish lifestyle and was constantly borrowing money from friends and family to make ends meet.

It was then that I realized that my friend’s need to show off his degree was a defense mechanism. Deep down, he was insecure about his financial struggles and used his degree to make himself feel better. He thought that by constantly reminding others of his education, he could prove that he was successful and superior.

A fool

But the truth was, his actions were only making him look foolish. It didn’t matter how prestigious his degree was or how high his grades were if he couldn’t manage his finances. His constant need to show off only made him seem desperate for validation and attention.

In the end, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my friend. He was so consumed by the idea of success and superiority that he lost sight of what truly mattered. I wanted to tell him that his worth as a person was not defined by his degree or his bank account balance. It was defined by his character, his actions, and his relationships with those around him.

I hope that one day, my friend will realize this and stop trying to prove himself through materialistic things. I will always support and encourage him, not because of his degree, but because he is my friend and I value our friendship.