Rodriguez, Suleman and Captain Sully

I don’t think it is any surprise, I’m a people watcher. I love to watch people, and with that, I’ve learned a few things over the years that I thought I would share with you!

Read moreHave you ever considered that arrogant people tend to be deceptive more than the average person? That is not to say that all arrogant people lie, or all liars are arrogant. It is just one trait that instantly puts me on notice. Another trait that makes me cautious is a lack of compassion. People who are unable to feel for other people are more prone to lying. Without compassion, one has more potential to do harm. Paying close attention to this could save you from becoming another victim of deceit, or worse.

Arrogant people are pretentious and seem to have a superiority complex about them. I believe arrogance actually comes from feelings of insecurity. Arrogant people, deep down inside, don’t feel worthy, so they feign confidence, resulting in arrogance. Therefore, lying in these circumstances is not a far-fetched concept.

Look at Alex Rodriguez. When he confessed to using steroids a few weeks back, the arrogant and staunch man we saw in 2007 was suddenly gone. Now before us was a much more humbled man. The change is notable (though I would not call Rodriguez humble by any means).

Look at Nadya Suleman with her 14 children. She shows a total disregard for her entire family. Not only did she show no compassion for her children and their needs, she has put all her responsibilities on her aging mother. Worse, without any way to care for or support her children, she decided to have more. This shows a complete disregard and lack of compassion for anyone. With that, we know Suleman has a much higher propensity to be deceptive, or worse. As a general rule, Suleman is not someone I would trust.

On the flip side, however, confident people are self-assured. They know their strengths are solid and they have no need to over-inflate anything. Their confidence comes deep from within. Add to confidence, a sense of humility, and you have the opposite of arrogance. You have the traits of someone who is most likely going to be very trustworthy and moreover, compassionate. Think about Captain “Sully”, from U.S. Airways flight 1549. He is confident, self-assured, and exceptionally humble. He also demonstrated amazing compassion. Captain Sully, even before his heroic landing, is someone who I would have implicitly trusted.