Dealing with Arrogant People — BeVociferous
- RV Lúcido
- Oct 16
- 3 min read
The Hidden Game Behind Arrogance
Arrogance wears many costumes. Sometimes it shouts. Sometimes it smirks. And sometimes, it hides behind a smile sharp enough to cut your calm.
But here’s the secret: dealing with arrogant people isn’t about defeating them; it’s about not letting them defeat your energy.
I once worked with someone whose arrogance was so polished that it almost looked like confidence. He interrupted everyone, dismissed opinions with a raised eyebrow, and mastered the art of making others feel smaller.
At first, I tried to argue. Then I tried to prove myself. Then I tried to be louder.
None of it worked.
And then it struck me:
“You don’t silence arrogance by shouting louder. You silence it by standing taller.”
The moment I stopped reacting emotionally, the dynamic changed. His arrogance had nothing to feed on. That day, I didn’t just deal with a difficult person; I discovered the power of inner stillness.
What Arrogance Really Is
Arrogance isn’t strength. It’s insecurity in disguise.
The loudest arrogance often belongs to the quietest fear. Most arrogant people operate from:
A need to feel superior
A fear of being unseen or irrelevant
An insecurity they don’t want to confront
Once you understand this, the game shifts. You stop taking their arrogance personally and start seeing it as a projection of their own struggle.
Why You Shouldn’t Wrestle with Ego
Arguing with arrogance is like boxing with smoke; you’ll end up exhausted while they keep floating.
Arrogant people often thrive on reaction. They measure their power by how much space they occupy in your head. The more you react, the bigger they grow.
But when you remain centered, their noise hits a wall of silence. And arrogance, deprived of attention, shrinks.
You don’t need to prove your worth to someone who isn’t even listening; you just need to not hand them your peace.
Tactics That Actually Work
Dealing with arrogant people isn’t about pretending to be unaffected; it’s about strategic detachment. Here are a few deeply practical approaches:
1. Stay Calm, Not Cold
Your calm is your advantage. Arrogant people expect a fight. When you give them stillness instead, they lose their script.
2. Don’t Compete, Elevate
They want to drag you into ego battles. Step above it. Speak with clarity, not volume.
3. Use Silence as a Weapon
Silence unsettles arrogance because it can’t control what it can’t read.
4. Mirror Their Energy Strategically
Sometimes, subtly reflecting their behavior (without mocking) reveals their own tone. It can trigger awareness or, at the very least, disrupt their usual power play.
5. Protect Your Emotional Border
Don’t personalize their arrogance. Their tone is a mirror of them, not you.
Understanding Power Dynamics
In any human interaction, power isn’t loud; it’s felt.
Arrogant people try to perform dominance to mask their insecurity. But power that’s performed can always be deflated. Power that’s owned can’t be touched.
When you own your space, you’re not threatened by their noise. Your quiet confidence does what words can’t: it changes the gravity of the room.
The Art of Not Internalizing
One of the most dangerous things you can do is absorb someone else’s arrogance as your self-worth.
When someone talks down to you, interrupts you, or dismisses you, they’re revealing themselves, not defining you.
The best revenge isn’t humiliation. It’s indifference with grace.
Because arrogance can’t stand being unseen.
For the Brave: Holding the Mirror
Sometimes, especially in personal or professional settings, you can hold up a mirror to arrogant people, not by insulting them, but by calmly:
Naming the behavior (“I noticed you interrupted me again.”)
Reasserting your space (“I’ll finish my point now.”)
Speaking without apology
This isn’t confrontation. It’s quiet authority.
Arrogance feeds on people who bow. It starves on people who stand without shouting.
A Reflective Lens
Arrogant people will cross your path in boardrooms, in families, in classrooms, on the internet, at airports, in friendships.
But arrogance is only as powerful as the reaction it receives.
You don’t need to fight their ego. You just need to master yours.
“When you rise above arrogance, you turn an exhausting conversation into your stage of power.”
Also, Read More from BeVociferous:
Dealing with arrogance isn’t about winning arguments. It’s about refusing to kneel to noise.
The most powerful response isn’t aggression. It’s composed strength. It’s grace with spine.
Remember: Ego shouts. Power whispers.
Be loud. Be raw. BeVociferous. — RV Lúcido
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