Basking In Reflected Glory

BIRGing is a word derived from the acronym, BIRG, which stands for — basking in reflected glory. It is used to describe the tendency of individuals to associate themselves with the successful, the famous, or the celebrated. These individuals seek glory from the shine of those who are successful and recognized by all. They relish in the reflected glory of a powerful individual, a celebrated person, a well-recognized institution, a successful sports team, a reputed academic institution, a haloed think-tank or any other elite group.

Have we not seen people wearing T-shirts of a World Cup winning football team or sharing in social media a picture taken with a politician? Or, of late, have we not seen supporters of various candidates in the recent elections boast of their exploits? These are great examples of BIRGing. It is a self-serving cognition whereby an individual associates himself with the success of others such that the winner’s success becomes the individual’s own accomplishment. The affiliation of another’s success is enough to stimulate self-glory. The individual does not need to be personally successful. To BIRG, they must simply associate themselves with the success.

BIRGing has connections to social identity theory, which explains how self-esteem can be enhanced by the identification with another person’s success through basking in reflected glory not earned. Social identity is the individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership of social groups. The perception of having these attributes makes the person feel as if they are more attractive to the outside social world and thus more desirable to others. BIRGing can be negative when done too extensively that the individual engaging in BIRGing becomes delusional or forgets the reality that they did not actually accomplish the successful event. Basking in reflected glory was first scientifically investigated in the mid-1970s by a team of researchers headed by Dr. Robert Cialdini.

Humans have a deep urge to look good in front of those around us. We want to be valued. We want to be taken seriously and have greater influence. We want to have an elevated status among those around us. This not only helps us to get things done but also has access to other resources. Actually, many of us would have BIRGed sometime or the other. However, those who have low self-esteem and have doubt in their abilities do it more.

Excessive BIRGing indulged in by self-vested supporters of various candidates who got elected in the recent elections – with the unrestrained urge to seek social recognition – is a common encounter these days. The candidates once elected are not likely to entertain the BIRGing supporters. Unfortunately, society is made up of a lot of people with different characteristics with each having to deal with the other in the mix. And there are not many other things that are more annoying than having to deal with a bunch of BIRGing supporters of a politician.