Life

“You Can’t Call Yourself Kind” – Japanese Opinions on Self-Praise

You Shouldn’t Be the One Saying You’re Kind or Smart (bunsetsu)

ワイと同じ考え方の人いる?

1. 名無しさん@おーぷん

Saying you’re “kind,” “smart,” or “hard‑working” is something for others to decide, not something you proclaim yourself—or so I think.
「優しい」とか like ‘kind’ Quoting the word as an example
「頭いい」とか like ‘smart’ Another quoted example
「努力してる」というのは saying ‘I’m hardworking’ Topic marker for the quoted phrase
他人が other people Subject 'others'
決める事であって、 are the ones who decide that Only others can judge
自分で by oneself Oneself
言う事ではない not something to say You shouldn’t declare it
という認識なんやが is how I see it My understanding (Kansai dialect)

2. 名無しさん@おーぷん

True, but I’m kind, smart, and hard‑working, y’know.
せやなけど yeah, but Agreeing then adding contrast (Kansai)
ワイは as for me First‑person topic
優しいし I’m kind, and Listing first trait
頭いいし smart, and Listing second trait
努力してるで hard‑working, y’know Emphatic ending in dialect

4. 名無しさん@おーぷん

And?
で? And? Short ‘So what?’

5. 名無しさん@おーぷん

I thought the same thing.
>>4 >>4 Responding to comment #4
これ this That statement
ワイも me too I also
思った thought so Had the same thought

7. 名無しさん@おーぷん

It’s fine to think it yourself, but it’s not something you go telling people.
自分で yourself By oneself
思うのは thinking it Holding that opinion
ええけどね is fine though It’s okay, though
周りに to those around you To others
自ら yourself Oneself
言うことではない not something to say Shouldn’t say it

9. 名無しさん@おーぷん

If anything, a lot of people get called that by others but don’t believe it themselves.
むしろ rather On the contrary
他人に by others From others
そう言われるけど get called that but People say that
自分では oneself Personally
そうだとは that way That
思わん don’t think Don’t think so
人が people People who…
多いんやないか may be many There might be many (dialect)

13. 名無しさん@おーぷん

Doesn’t look like they’re the majority, apparently.
>>9 >>9 Responding to #9
なんか kinda Somehow
多数派に as majority Majority group
見えないね、 doesn’t look Doesn’t seem
どうやら apparently Apparently

19. 名無しさん@おーぷん

Am I weird for thinking other people’s evaluations are absolute? I don’t think it’s bad not to be praised, though.
他人の評価が others’ evaluation How others judge you
絶対と as absolute Absolute/definitive
思ってる think Believe
ワイって me I
おかしいんか? weird? Am I strange?
別に not particularly Not especially
評価されない事が not being praised Receiving no praise
悪いとは is bad Is bad
思わないけど don’t think I don't think so though

23. 名無しさん@おーぷん

It’s okay to decide for yourself; if that’s how you feel compared to others, you can say it.
自分で yourself On your own
決めても decide even if Even if you decide
ええやろ it’s fine, right? It should be okay
他人との with others With other people
比較で in comparison When comparing
そう that That way
思うなら if you think If you feel
そう that That
言えるやん you can say You can say it (dialect)

27. 名無しさん@おーぷん

You shouldn’t equate yourself with other people.
自分と yourself and You and
他人を others Other people
同一視せん don’t equate Don’t see as same
ほうが better Rather
ええで is better It’s better (dialect)

Quoted under Article 32 of the Copyright Act of Japan from the thread
“優しいとか頭いいとか自分で言うことじゃないよな”
for the purpose of commentary and language education.

“名無しさん” (nanashi-san) literally means “Mr./Ms. Nameless.” It’s the default handle for anonymous posters on Japanese boards like 2ch, 5ch, and おーぷん2ちゃんねる—similar to “Anonymous” on English-language forums.

-Life