Maybe you’ve got a friend who can act a bit stuck-up at times. Perhaps they always talk about their nice house, new car, or recent shopping purchases.
They might make you feel inferior, or act like they’re above everyone.
If you’re not sure where this is coming from, it may be that your friend is a snob.
Here are 12 traits of snobs so that you can see what you’re dealing with.
We’ve also got some great tips on dealing with a snob so that you can move past this weird phase in your friendship.
12 Characteristics Of A Snob
1. They think they’re better than you.
By definition, snobs think that they’re better than everyone else; that they’re the best out there. They think they have the best taste, the best style, the best lifestyle.
Whilst being confident and self-assured is great, this is taking it too far.
You might notice that they act as though they’re superior or find ways to elevate themselves and seem better than they really are.
Snobs are also likely to be quite entitled – they think they deserve the best, and they want everyone to know it.
2. They’re rude about your choices.
You might notice that the snob in your life makes rude remarks about your decisions.
They might call you ‘basic’ for going to Starbucks because they think the independent coffee place they found is so much better.
They might be mean about how you choose to dress, who you hang out with, who you date – basically, anything they can make a comment on, they will.
3. They brag about their choices.
Similarly to putting your decisions down, snobs are very vocal about how great they are.
They might go around bragging about how great their taste is, or how amazing the restaurant they discovered is.
While it’s nice to share things you love, snobs go out of their way to prove that they are above everyone else.
4. They’re very superficial or fake.
Snobs tend to be quite focused on appearances, so may get very hung up on having the ‘right’ label on their clothes.
They might come across as very fake because they’re trying so hard to fit the mould of perfection that they’ve created for themselves.
They always want to be seen as the best person who has the best life, so they’re superficial and essentially performing at all times.
5. They broadcast their lives on social media.
Snobs are keen to broadcast what they’re up to. What’s the point in being amazing if you don’t have anyone to witness it, after all?
Snobs can be very self-important, which means they think everyone around them is obsessed with them and is dying to find out more about them.
As such, they document their lives on Instagram to make people feel inferior but also intrigued…
6. They’re obsessed with labels.
Again, appearance is everything to a lot of snobs. They want you to know that their outfit was expensive, that their home is decorated with pricey goods from the coolest shops in town, and that their car is the right kind of car.
They want to fit into a certain kind of aesthetic, and want to be seen as being rich and successful – which is why showcasing certain labels and designer goods is very important to snobs.
7. They talk about money a lot.
The foundation of being a snob is being better than other people – and money can really help with that.
A lot of people think that they need to brag about being successful and having lots of money, as they think it makes them more aspirational and interesting.
Snobs often think people will love them more if they show that they have great taste and are always rushing around doing exciting, expensive things.
8. They think they’re more important than they are.
A lot of snobby people do genuinely believe that they’re better than most other people.
They see themselves on a pedestal and think that the ‘normals’ around them are obsessed with them; they feel like celebrities, almost.
As such, they think that everything they do is fascinating.
9. They’re not very friendly.
Sadly, a lot of people who are snobs have the characteristic of being really unapproachable.
While they might be lovely, loyal friends underneath it all, they’ve built up such a facade that they just seem really fake and unfriendly.
You might not feel comfortable chatting to someone snobby because you worry that they’re looking down on you.
It’s really off-putting and is the reason that a lot of snobs don’t tend to have many genuine friendships.
Instead, they surround themselves with other snobs who can all look down on other people together, safe in the knowledge that they’re part of the ‘elite.’
10. They’re narcissistic.
Everyone wants to be liked and be seen as interesting and attractive, but snobs can take it too far.
They become self-obsessed and narcissistic, sucked into the vapid life they’re created for themselves.
Snobs think that they’re all anyone else talks about, because they’re all they think about.
They can often become very obsessive about how they look and how they come across, and be caught up in themselves.
This can mean they become very distant in friendships, because they’re too busy worrying about themselves or spending their time praising themselves and doing their best to constantly feel better than everyone else.
11. They try to enforce their standards.
Snobs can try to spread their standards within their friendship groups.
You might notice that nights out now revolve around them trying to convince you all to go to the fancy, expensive cocktail bar instead of the usual pub you all used to love.
Maybe they try to force you to eat at pricey rooftop restaurants with them when you can only really afford something cheaper.
They might try to put pressure on you to live up to the standards they hold for themselves, which can really put a strain on the friendship.
12. They put you down.
As with the above scenario, your snobby friend may try to force you to join them at ‘the place to be seen,’ purely because they want to be… seen there!
This can go one step further and result in them actively criticizing your taste or putting you down for wanting to go to normal places, or to cheaper, more friendly pubs or cafes.
Maybe they tell you you’re pathetic or a loser for wanting to go to an affordable chain restaurant, or put you down for not wanting to be seen at a fancy place in town.
How To Deal With A Snob
So, you’ve established that someone you know is a snob. What next?
Tell them how their behavior makes you feel.
Many snobs don’t fully realize what they’re doing, let alone how it might be making you feel.
They get so caught up in ‘living their best life’ that they assume everyone else is doing the same.
Nothing will change unless they can understand how their behavior is impacting you. In a calm way, let them know that it upsets you when they put you down or make out like they’re better than you.
Tell them that you understand that you have different tastes in some things, but that you still want to hang out and continue to do the things you mutually love.
Avoid attacking them or coming across as confrontational, but tell them that you really value your friendship with them and want to be honest so that you can move forwards – together.
Manage their behavior by limiting conversations.
If you know that certain topics are going to trigger some snobby behavior – avoid them!
Maybe you know that your friend has very, very specific opinions on craft coffee or artisanal bakeries. Rather than poking the bear by talking about Starbucks, just avoid this topic all together.
It’s upsetting that you need to monitor or censor yourself around your friend, but it should pay off in the long-run once they snap out of this weird phase and your friendship can go back to normal!
Positively reinforce good behavior.
Rather than criticizing a snob when they act snobby, be positive when they show a more flexible attitude.
If they hate chain restaurants but come to one with you once, let them know how much it means to you. Tell them you appreciate them making a compromise to fit in with your budget, and that you love that they’ve made the effort, even though you know it goes against their personal preferences.
This will make them feel like a good friend and will make them more likely to hang out with you like this again than if you point out what they’re doing ‘wrong’ every time!
Try to move past it and ignore it.
Brush it off – it’s not easy but you can try to spend some time just pretending that it’s not really happening.
Denial and avoidance aren’t good long-term coping strategies, but it’s worth giving a go if this snobbishness is a new development.
Your friend might be having a hard time and is trying to convince themselves that they’re great and amazing because they’re having a dip in confidence, and they’re plastering it all over social media because they need attention and validation.
Equally, they might be acting out because they’re stressed or feeling anxious about something.
Try to ignore this behavior for a little while and see what happens – once they realize that you’re not rewarding their snobby behavior with attention, they’re likely to stop doing it and bounce back to being the great friend you know and love…
You may also like:
