Conceited

To act conceited is to express one's superiority over one's neighbors in such a demonstrable way as to make clear to all involved one's hostile and insulting stance.

There are two ways in which being conceited is not synonymous with or compatible with egoism, or self-love.

First, she who loves herself is an individualist. She does what she does for her own sake, and to please herself. To act conceited is to engender a phony, inimical group connection to neighbors, especially seeking to establish higher rank socially than the neighbors, a petty attempt to gain group power. This complex behavior stems from self-hatred and other-hatreed.

Second, to act conceited is to strut and announce from the roof top how high is one's societal rank, and to imply that one is naturally better than related others. All these comparative excercises are a lie, for no one is any better than anyone else, though some achieve more by working harer or smarter.

The individual is  disinterested in ranking herself against others in the community for that robs her of her liberty and independence, two existential and essential conditions critical for her to enjoy going her own way, and doing her own thing. The conceited person is insecure, so he can only survive by linking himself to others, and pretending that he is of great importance, rather than earning his great state and status.