Arrogance is an exaggerated sense of your own importance or abilities, combined with disrespect for others. An arrogant person doesn't just feel confident: they act like they're better than everyone else and treat other people's thoughts and feelings as unimportant.

You can spot arrogance when someone constantly brags, interrupts others because they think their ideas matter more, or refuses to listen to advice because they believe they already know everything. An arrogant student might roll their eyes at a classmate's answer or announce that the group project would fail without them. An arrogant athlete might showboat and belittle teammates after a good play.

Arrogance is different from genuine confidence. A confident person knows their strengths but stays humble and respects what others bring to the table. An arrogant person can't see past themselves. The tricky thing about arrogance is that it often masks insecurity: people who feel uncertain inside sometimes act superior on the outside to hide their doubts.

Most people find arrogance off-putting because arrogant behavior pushes others away. Even someone with real talent and ability will struggle to work with others or earn respect if they carry themselves with arrogance.