Self-effacing means ‘tending to make oneself or one’s actions inconspicuous, especially because of humility or timidity; modest.’ I don’t think I’m a particularly modest person in that respect. I don’t consider myself to be timid, at any rate!

Might I be humble? Well, I try not to be a braggart. No one likes that trait. People who are boastful tend to come across as brash and annoying. One should certainly be proud of good and great accomplishments, and one should take pride in good work, but bragging is simply annoying. There’s not really a need to shove accomplishments in people’s faces, yet some people operate that way, for reasons I cannot understand.

To try and offer an example here, saying ‘I’m so happy I got a promotion’ is a different proposition to saying ‘I am so much better than the other candidates for promotion, and I beat them all’, agreed? When I became a published author, I was rightly very happy with that achievement, but it never occurred to me to throw that in peoples’ faces, or lift myself up by putting others down. There’s nothing humble, or modest, about that sort of attitude.

Besides, sometimes flying under the radar makes life easier! I don’t especially seek fame or glory for any of my efforts in any given field, I merely seek to be well-regarded for my books, and for my bathroom designs!