Smugness

Smugness ( French suffisance , "complacency") is in the broadest sense a kind of mocking humor . The German dictionary of the Brothers Grimm describes the adjective smugly as “presumptuous, conceited, conceited” as well as “complacent, complacent” and states that it was borrowed from French in the 18th century.

Labelling

Sardonic observations, comments or interjections are mocking , derogatory or contemptuous intentioned statements , which usually refer to actions or work of others. Therefore, smugness requires a certain arrogance (synonym: arrogance ), a representation of superiority, ridicule and / or glee .

The women's conversation encyclopedia of 1834 comments on this: “Süffisance, that complacency which, always enough for itself, seldom satisfies others - an egoism that makes itself a reflection of blissful contemplation, a spiritual narcissus who blissfully delves into contemplation his own form. ”In Knaur's German dictionary ,“ smug ”is also described as“ conceited ”and“ mockingly arrogant ”.

See also

• Narcissus
• narcissism
• egoism
• Egocentricity

Individual evidence

1. ↑ smugly. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 20 : Strom – Szische - (X, 4th section). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1942 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
2. ↑ zeno.org
3. ^ Knaur: The German dictionary . Munich 1985, p. 934