Consider the word “charismatic.” If someone called me charismatic, I would be incredibly flattered (and hugely surprised.) But if I called myself charismatic, you would think I’m a jerk—and rightly so. Here are 5 more words that are awesome when used by others to describe you, but you should never use to describe yourself.

2. Generosity is earned, not claimed. Leave it to other people to describe you as a giver
—that’s the highest form of praise. Generosity is in the eye of the beholder.

3. Self-disciplined people constantly struggle with self-discipline because they’re trying
incredibly hard to stay disciplined. That’s why they are the last people to describe
themselves as self-disciplined—they know it’s a challenge that must be met each
and every day.

4. Don’t say you’re fearless. You’re not. Brave? In certain circumstances, maybe.
Courageous? Possibly so. But fearless? I doubt.

5. Maybe it’s just me, but I read “straightforward” and it sounds similar to starting a
sentence using, “With all due respect...” Straightforward is usually a code word for
rude, abrasive, disrespectful, or impolite.

6. Self-reliance is a good thing. The ability to take care of yourself, to function without
too much help or assistance, is a good thing. But that’s now how most people use the
word. Most people describe themselves as independent as a way to cover for being
terrible team players, or for not knowing how to follow as well as to lead, or even as
an excuse for not playing well in sandboxes.

7. The AMCAT is India’s first employability assessment test that help fresh graduates
to get their first job quickly and efficiently.