What is a snob and a sheaf. What does snobbery mean in simple terms? History of the origin of the word Snob

The word "snobbery" is rarely used in modern speech, but the phenomenon it denotes can be found in any society. The snob considers himself superior to those around him because of his belonging to a special clan, a collective. He believes that he is worthy of respect, although in fact the pride, arrogance and arrogance of a snob alienate people from him and cause irritation.

Snobbery - what is it?

Reflecting on what snobbery is, one should turn to the etymology of this word. There are different versions regarding the origin of the word "snobbery", but they all boil down to the fact that some person put himself above others. In the vocabulary, this word was fixed in the 18-19 centuries, when they said that snobbery is a desire to belong to high society. Moreover, the snob was often from the simpler strata of the population, but in every possible way he tried to be known as a person from the highest circles.

Snobbery can be defined as the ranking of the people around you. Depending on the rank assigned to a person, the snob chooses the manner of communication with him. His communication is selective: dismissive with those of lower rank, and ingratiating with those in whose circle he wants to enter. This demeanor can be combined with tactlessness and inadequacy in relation to the people around.

Snobbery can develop in one of the areas or combine a complex in itself:

• aesthetic snobbery;
• snobbery of wealthy people;
• professional snobbery.

What is aesthetic snobbery?

By virtue of their profession, people of art are characterized by aesthetic snobbery. They consider themselves to be more intelligent, intelligent and well-mannered than representatives of other professions. As a result, there is a special stratum of society, whose snobbery is pronounced and combined with. The effect of snobbery is the reason for the birth of falsehood, conceit and confidence in one's superiority.

Causes of snobbery

Various reasons lead to the appearance of snobbery:

• a family in which everything was saturated with snobbery;
• provincial snobbery can grow out of a desire to break out of the “village” environment;
• collective influence at work;
• selfishness, behind which a person does not see the feelings and desires of other people;
• narrowness and rigidity of thinking, as a result of which the snob considers only certain behavior to be correct and important;
• low self-esteem, which a person tries to compensate for by artificially raising his status and humiliating others.

Snobbery - signs

A snob is a person who considers himself to be exceptional and worthy of more respect than others, therefore the main signs of a snob are:

• different attitudes towards people of different categories;
• feigned sophistication;
• the confidence that only his point of view is the most correct;
• disregard for people who do not correspond to the ideas and intellectual level of the snob;
• reckoning oneself with a special clan, the intellectual elite, the cream of society;
• insensitivity to other people's problems and experiences;
• heightened self-esteem.

Is snobbery good or bad?

Snobbery is an ambiguous concept, but sociologists are still inclined to classify snobbery as a negative phenomenon in society. According to psychology, snobs are people with a predominant visual vector. They love to surround themselves with beautiful things and nice people. They have a subtle sense of the beauty of nature, they like to visit museums, read books of fiction, and go to theaters. They do not like uncivilized behavior, rudeness, informal trends, low-grade art. This is the positive side of snobbery, but it leads to negative consequences.

Snobs distinguish themselves as a special, priority class in society. Considering themselves an elite, everyone who does not correspond to their ideas, they can bet on nothing. Other people for them are second-rate people, worthless and unworthy of attention. In addition, snobs are opponents of everything new, non-standard, non-traditional. They argue that only classical culture and generally accepted traditions are worthy of the attention of an educated person. Although they themselves do not always have real knowledge in the field of culture.

Snobbery and bigotry

Snob and prude are two different concepts. They are confused with each other for the reason that both the first and the second consider themselves superior to others and look at others with disdain. Otherwise, these concepts diverge. The snob sincerely believes that he is better than others, morally cleaner and more cultured. He seeks to communicate only with his own kind and tries to meet their standards.

Unlike a snob, a prude has no definite norms for himself. His demands relate to other people whom he wants to teach life, makes comments to them. A bigot is a two-faced person with double standards. He does not see his mistakes, but always notices the mistakes and sins of others. He teaches the people around life, trying to show himself and those around him his sinlessness, knowledge or high tastes.

Snob

Now they say this about a person who carefully imitates aristocratic manners, sophistication, arrogance, pretending to an exquisitely refined taste, to an exclusive range of occupations and interests. Snobs especially carefully follow the rules of the upper world and neglect everything that goes beyond these rules. Hence the concept snobbery (c) "GREAT ENCYCLOPEDIC DICTIONARY".

Snobbery - the characteristic behavior, the way of thinking, the manner of an individual who claims to be elitist, which consists in admiration for everything first-class, from works of art to clothes, that should characterize an intelligent and educated, well-worn person - one of the few.

Snobbery lies precisely in the fact that the snob values \u200b\u200bobjects and phenomena not for their quality, but only for the fact that these objects and phenomena are valued by representatives of the elite, in which the snob wants to be involved. Snobbery differs from hypocrisy in that a snob, without fully realizing himself, sincerely considers himself an intellectual, as is convinced by the manners and tastes of the snob.

Snob Literature

see also

Notes

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "Snob" is in other dictionaries:

Snob, huh ... Russian verbal stress

snob - a snob, and ... Russian spelling dictionary

snob - snob / ... Morphemic and spelling dictionary

- (English snob). Dandy, whip, braggart. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910.SNOB (English) veil, hlyshch. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

SNOB, snob, husband. (English snob) (book). A person whose behavior and tastes are determined by the desire to keep up with fashion and constantly adhere to the manners of the bourgeois aristocratic circle, high society. (The word became widespread ... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

SNOB, ah, husband. (book). A person who considers himself a bearer of the highest intellectuality and refined tastes. | adj. snobbish, oh, oh. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

AND; m. [eng. snob] 1. In Russia before 1917: about a man who strove to strictly follow tastes, manners, etc. high society and with disdain for everything else. 2. Disapproved. A person who considers himself a carrier of the highest intellectuality ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Show-off, proud, poser Dictionary of Russian synonyms. snob noun, number of synonyms: 4 show off (15) ... Synonym dictionary

- (English snob) a person who carefully follows the tastes, manners, etc. of the upper world and neglects everything that goes beyond its rules; a person who claims an exquisitely refined taste, an exclusive range of occupations, interests. Snobbery ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

M. 1. One who blindly imitates what is accepted in society. 2. Anyone who claims exquisitely refined taste and manners, for a special, exclusive circle of knowledge and interests. Efremova's explanatory dictionary. T.F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

snob - іmennik of cholovich family, іstota ... Spelling vocabulary of the Ukrainian language

Books

• "Snob". Heroes. 30 best essays 2008-2011,. Over the three years of the SNOB media project's existence, politicians, musicians, artists, businessmen, historians, and philosophers have become its heroes. Someone's names have long been heard by everyone, someone SNOB first ...

Today, you don't often hear that someone is called a snob. Rather, the term is used in the literature. Snobbery - what does it mean? Surely each of us has met a person who, as it were, boasts of his "not the same as everyone else's" position. He is arrogant towards people who speak differently from him, read other books, listen to other music, etc. We call such a person a snob and feel in his behavior some kind of fake, as if he put on the mask of an intellectual and an aristocrat ... What are the main characteristics of such a person?

Snob characteristics

Snobbery - what is this "beast"? The main category that the snob operates is high society. Such a person simply dreams of being involved in him and does everything to get closer to such people. The snob imitates the manners, habits, tastes that, in his opinion, are inherent in the elite. Although such a person himself does not belong to the representatives of high society, he is merciless towards “mere mortals”.

The meaning of the word "snobbery" has a mostly negative connotation in connection with the arrogant attitude of a person to others like him. The lower class, according to the snob, does not intellectually reach his level. Here it is necessary to remember who was originally called that. The first meaning literally means "shoemaker's apprentice", then it expanded to "commoner". Further, the concept of "snob" became associated with a commoner who imitates aristocrats by his behavior. Thus, the term itself characterizes a snob as a person who wants to get closer to the upper community, who hates his origin and despises any of its manifestations in every possible way.

Psychological aspects of snobbery

Why is snobbery so remarkable? What is this phenomenon in modern world? Although this concept is not widely used in ordinary speech, snobs themselves are quite common. They claim some kind of exclusivity in everything they do. But there are people with the same interests and hobbies as the snob, but unlike the latter, they do not boast of their passions. The point is that snobbery is an ostentatious phenomenon. Such a person strives with all his might to show his exclusivity. He denies himself and tries to imitate some ideal. Deep dissatisfaction with one's position and even an inferiority complex become the causes of snobbery.

Snobbery - what is it in terms of benefits and harms?

At first glance, this phenomenon has only negative sides. The snob exudes contempt for people unlike him, while he himself is not something remarkable. However, the benefits and harms of snobbery in society cannot be judged one-sidedly. First, the phenomenon characterizes society as class-divided. This means that there is a gulf between the so-called higher and lower society. After all, snobbery is nothing more than a sophisticated form of envy. Secondly, snobs (whatever the motives underlying their behavior) strive for the manifestation of intelligence and aristocracy. And this supports to some extent the cultural level of society.

Snob (eng. snob) is a person who admires high society and carefully imitates its manners and tastes, looking for an opportunity to get into such a society. The same name is given to a person who claims high intelligence, exquisite taste or authority in some area, and at the same time arrogantly refers to those who, in his opinion, are deprived of these virtues. The word has entered into many languages \u200b\u200bof the world. From him came the concept snobbery, meaning the way of thinking and behavior characteristic of a snob.

Table of Contents [Show]

Origin

The exact origin of the word is unknown, there are several versions. The word is first discovered in 1775-1785 as a designation of a shoemaker or an apprentice of a shoemaker. According to one version, this word later began to denote a commoner in a broad sense, and even later a commoner imitating the manners of an aristocrat. According to another version, it is assumed that the word is older and comes from the Latin abbreviation "S. nob. " (from lat. sine nobilitate - of ignoble origin). Folk etymology puts forward several more versions of the origin of this word. One of them is that "snob" is a slang name for students at Eton University at the beginning of the 19th century, where "nobs" (students of noble birth, probably from the English. noble - nobleman) were opposed to "snobs" (ignoble).

Snobs in literature

• "". William Thackeray.
• "Razor's Edge". Somerset Maugham. One of the storylines of this work, the author twisted around the character of Elliot Templeton, who "lived like a snob and died like a snob."

“They suspected him of a snob. And not without reason. Of course he was a snob and was not even ashamed of it. He was ready to endure anyone, endure any ridicule, swallow any rudeness, just to receive an invitation to the reception, where he longed to go, or to be introduced to some grumpy old aristocrat. He was tireless. " Somerset Maugham... "Razor's Edge".

• "". Arthur Koestler.
• Mrs Dalloway. Virginia Woolf.

see also

• Nouveau riche
• Parvenu
• Bigotry
• Arrogance
• Philistinism
• Hypocrisy

Notes

The word "snobbery" is rarely used in modern speech, but the phenomenon it denotes can be found in any society. The snob considers himself superior to those around him because of his belonging to a special clan, a collective. He believes that he is worthy of respect, although in fact the pride, arrogance and arrogance of a snob alienate people from him and cause irritation.

Snobbery - what is it?

Reflecting on what snobbery is, you should turn to the etymology of this word. There are different versions regarding the origin of the word "snobbery", but they all boil down to the fact that some person put himself above others. In the vocabulary, this word was fixed in the 18-19 centuries, when they said that snobbery is a desire to belong to high society. Moreover, the snob was often from the simpler strata of the population, but in every possible way he tried to be known as a person from the highest circles. Snobbery can be defined as the ranking of the people around you. Depending on the rank assigned to a person, the snob chooses the manner of communication with him. His communication is selective: dismissive with those below the rank, and ingratiating with those in whose circle he wants to enter. This demeanor can be combined with tactlessness and inadequacy in relation to the people around. Snobbery can develop in one of the areas or combine a complex in itself:

• aesthetic snobbery;
• intellectual snobbery;
• snobbery of wealthy people;
• professional snobbery.

What is aesthetic snobbery?

By virtue of their profession, people of art are characterized by aesthetic snobbery. They consider themselves to be more intelligent, intelligent and well-mannered than representatives of other professions. As a result, there is a special stratum of society, whose snobbery is pronounced and combined with star fever. The effect of snobbery is the reason for the birth of falsehood, conceit and confidence in one's superiority.

Causes of snobbery

Various reasons lead to the appearance of snobbery:

• a family in which everything was saturated with snobbery;
• provincial snobbery can grow out of a desire to break out of the “village” environment;
• collective influence at work;
• selfishness, behind which a person does not see the feelings and desires of other people;
• narrowness and rigidity of thinking, as a result of which the snob considers only certain behavior and character traits to be correct and important;
• low self-esteem, which a person tries to compensate for by artificially raising his status and humiliating others.

Snobbery - signs

A snob is a person who considers himself to be exceptional and worthy of more respect than others, therefore the main signs of a snob are:

• different attitudes towards people of different categories;
• feigned sophistication;
• the confidence that only his point of view is the most correct;
• disregard for people who do not correspond to the ideas and intellectual level of the snob;
• reckoning oneself with a special clan, the intellectual elite, the cream of society;
• insensitivity to other people's problems and experiences;
• heightened self-esteem.

Is snobbery good or bad?

Snobbery is an ambiguous concept, but sociologists are still inclined to classify snobbery as a negative phenomenon in society. According to psychology, snobs are people with a predominant visual vector. They love to surround themselves with beautiful things and nice people. They have a subtle sense of the beauty of nature, they like to visit museums, read books of fiction, and go to theaters. They do not like uncivilized behavior, rudeness, informal trends, low-grade art. This is the positive side of snobbery, but it leads to negative consequences. Snobs identify themselves as a special, priority class in society. Considering themselves an elite, everyone who does not correspond to their ideas, they can bet on nothing. Other people for them are second-rate people, worthless and unworthy of attention. In addition, snobs are opponents of everything new, non-standard, non-traditional. They argue that only classical culture and generally accepted traditions are worthy of the attention of an educated person. Although they themselves do not always have real knowledge in the field of culture.

Snobbery and bigotry

Snob and prude are two different concepts. They are confused with each other for the reason that both the first and the second consider themselves superior to others and look at others with disdain. Otherwise, these concepts diverge. The snob sincerely believes that he is better than others, morally cleaner and more cultured. He seeks to communicate only with his own kind and tries to meet their standards. Unlike a snob, a prude has no definite norms for himself. His demands concern other people whom he wants to teach life, makes comments to them. A bigot is a two-faced person with double standards. He does not see his mistakes, but always notices the mistakes and sins of others. He teaches the people around life, trying to show himself and those around him his sinlessness, knowledge or high tastes.

The concepts of "snob" and "snobbery" are so ambiguous and multifaceted that it is almost impossible to define them in one phrase. All articles in the media trying to explain what it is, most often give specific examples of this phenomenon. Famous interpreters of words (Ushakov, Ozhegov, etc.) interpret these concepts in different ways, although they highlight their general meaning. The majority of people, more or less literate, feel this concept rather subconsciously, not being able to express it verbally. Explaining the meaning of the words "snob" and "snobbery", they usually laugh it off: "I, like a dog, understand everything, but I cannot say."

So who are the snobs? According to most opinions, this word literally translates as "not a nobleman" - just such a mark was given to students of the University of Eton who have an ignoble origin. A natural desire to be the same as other students prompted them to imitate the manners and style of behavior of the aristocrats, which did not always work out naturally for them and caused a smile or evil irony from those around them.

Now this is the name given to people who, by their behavior, strive to show belonging to high society: hence the definition of snobbery as mannerism, antics, conceit, imitation of the elite. Behind this desire to "crawl" into the caste of the elite, only external imitation is visible, the desire to have exactly the same as that of "them." In fact, the behavior of snobs is akin to childish imitation of adults. A girl trying on her mother's shoes and painted with her mother’s makeup looks no more ridiculous than a nouveau riche who chooses a car not for reasons of convenience, but for the prestige of a model, or the newly-minted author of the hit “about love”, easily rhyming “in a row” - “so”, “ watch ”-“ no ”, but in an interview he said that he adores Pushkin and LIES his book under his pillow for the night.

A snob necessarily follows the unwritten rules of the society he strives for, arrogantly treating those who, in his opinion, do not belong to this circle, denying demeanor, tastes and interests if they are not popular in “his” society. He appreciates things and phenomena not for their convenience or quality, but for how popular they are in the environment to which he so strives. At the same time, the snob may not even suspect about their true value (or pricelessness).

Snobbery as a demeanor can be roughly divided into some categories.

The first, and most "useful": snobbery in the profession. More professional and experienced professionals treat the more inexperienced with a bit of arrogance. The advantage of this attitude towards the “unworthy” is that the latter, striving to rise to the “worthy,” raise their professional level, which, in general, contributes to the development of society as a whole. From an ethical point of view, this category also causes rejection of others, but it is at least justified by a higher position, which is obtained solely thanks to its intellect and hard work. Although, a real professional is, first of all, an intellectual, and it would never occur to him to boast of his knowledge. For him, professionalism in work is such a natural phenomenon that he simply takes it for granted, therefore, noticing the unprofessionalism of others, he simply tries to help them improve their level either with clever advice or by gently pointing out mistakes. Another thing is how newcomers will react to this - after all, there are those who perceive any remark as a personal insult.

Intellectual snobbery is essentially the same professional snobbery, but it belongs to the sphere, for the most part, unearned. This is a "fashion" for writers, music, cinema, etc. The most famous example is to consider only classics as literature, and detective stories, science fiction, women's novels, etc., as second-class literature. Let me recall M. Bulgakov, who, in the words of a literary hero, argued that fish can have only one degree of freshness - the first. It's the same with literature: either it's literature or not, and it doesn't matter in what genre it is written. In fact, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is the same "women's novel", and Pushkin's Dubrovsky is a detective story, but who can say that this is not literature? Snobs - intellectuals value not the work of art itself, as such, but the name that created it, most often not representing its actual artistic value.

Guests of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities are familiar with snobbery by origin when they encounter their indigenous population. The "true" Petersburgers have developed not only a special arrogance towards everyone else - they even developed their own unique language, which differs from other dialects of the Russian language. However, even here it is worth noting that real Petersburgers and Muscovites gladly accept worthy people into their circle, realizing that only in this way they will preserve and renew their “indigenous” blood.

Currently, snobs by origin are not so common, but their small number is more than compensated by snobs by status and material wealth, in other words, the elite, the cream of society. Who and when "knocked" this cream out of the "milk mass" of the population, now it is already difficult to establish, but this is the most common category, if by it we mean another kind of snobbery - following the popular taste, the taste of the crowd, in other words, snobbery as the stereotype of mass taste.

So, suddenly Labradors, sambo and judo wrestling, alpine skiing became very popular. For some time now Courchevel has suddenly become very popular, and the cheap gloss of the Cosmopolitan type has become an indicator of belonging to the "high society". Everyone can give their own examples. It is a pity that this snobbery pushes people to blind worship, and not always the best - just fashionable at the present time. "Brand ideals", of course, change at different times, but who sets them is, again, unknown. And why, for example, today's Murakami is better than Remarque, but the fifties or Nietzsche two thousandth, for posterity, for sure, will remain a mystery.

Probably, show business snobs can be included in the same category. Fashion hits, fashionable performers ... At one time, girls died from "Tender May" and "Nancy", today they are remembered only by former fans, but until recently there were "Roots" on the crest of fame, not much different from them, or "Chelsea ". In general, for a person far from "pop" it is difficult to grasp the difference between numerous groups and individual performers, similar to each other, like twins, born and dying in huge numbers, like one-day butterflies. But snobs somehow distinguish them from show business, and even argue about their "coolness" and relevance! However, one should not conclude that the author of the article does not recognize young talents at all - this article is only about snobs and snobbery.

The article on snobs and snobbery could be continued almost indefinitely, remembering, for example, snobs from the nobility, real or imaginary, national chauvinism and many other things, but the essence of the phenomenon, apparently, became clear to many. A snob is a person who wants to rank himself among the coveted part of society, but at the same time uses only external, blind imitation of the behavior of this part. Snobbery is a phenomenon that describes the behavior of snobs.

Many people believe that a snob is an arrogant person who finds himself better than others for whatever reason, takes pride in it, and clearly demonstrates his superiority. Other people usually find his demeanor repulsive, since they hate to see a clear and unreasonable understatement of their own material, intellectual, cultural or other level. The main personal quality of a snob can be called pride and vanity, directed towards vanity.

Who is a snob?

Snob - a person, prone to narcissism, megalomania and having bowed before that, in his opinion, is belonging to a high and prestigious. It is characteristic for him to exaggerate the importance of some things.

The snob very carefully observes the rules of the style of the circle of people to whom he wants to relate. At the same time, he sincerely believes that he most subtly and correctly understands all the requirements of a characteristic fashion. Snob behavior is about worshiping what the elite values. But objects or works of art are recognized not because of their true value, but because their properties are understood by representatives of the upper class, whom one should be like.

The snob feels the need to enjoy his own worth. But this is not possible alone, as he feels the need to stand out from others. In addition, people who are weak in spirit are not able to be alone for a long time.

What is characteristic of a snob personality?

It is common for a snob to end a relationship with a person who does not act according to the overestimated standards he requires. In this case, if the high representative of the class, which wants to be treated and a proud man, and admits a similar mistake, it remains unnoticed. That is, a snob breaks off relations with a good and intelligent person if he buys food in the market, and not in an elite supermarket. But at the same time, if a famous person imitated by a proud man acts in the same way, then the hypocrite confirms the correctness of his choice. The snob is often characterized by exaggeration of the importance of the system of division into classes in society.

Other people usually do not even intend to compete with him or prove their superiority, and before his appearance they do not even know that they have something wrong. The snob feels an intuitive desire to develop a flawed feeling in friends and relatives and to rise at their expense.

How does a snob choose his circle of acquaintances?

At the same time, it cannot be said that the snob is dishonest in his actions, since he actually considers himself better than others. This person believes that his knowledge is special, his demeanor is refined, his taste is refined, or his origin is more noble than that of other people. Snob no contact with friends who do not "hold out" to his level, and if people accidentally fall into his entourage, then breaks off contacts with them.

It is very important for a snob to be superior to other people in some way, so such a person can first pay attention to what the majority does not have, and draw his own conclusions about their failure. After that, he deliberately demonstrates his superiority, creating in the minds of acquaintances the illusion of the need to possess the same thing that he has. Due to the lack of such a criterion in people, the snob secretly indicates (with gestures, facial expressions, actions) their low status. A snob's way of communicating is to look past the other person, filtering words through his teeth.

What is a snob proud of?

Talent, a large sum of money, connections with high-ranking people and so on can be a subject of pride. There are opposite cases, when snob demonstrates its superiority in the ability of possessing anything less than his friends, or just one. By and large, the snob doesn't care what the advantage is. His manner of communication is to present his views and property as the most correct in any situation.

There are many examples:

1. A laptop is better than a desktop computer.
2. An outdated and simple phone model is preferable to a new and cutting edge one.
3. A house outside the city is better than an apartment in an elite central area (and vice versa).
4. More modern technology is better than the one that was bought even a year ago.
5. Antique items are valued above any other.
6. A small car is better than a large one because it is more maneuverable.
7. An expensive large car is better than a small one, as it is more prestigious, and so on.

Varieties of snobs

Many people know the preference of high-quality branded items to ordinary consumer goods. But there is not always an opportunity or even a desire to purchase, for example, a leather belt from a prestigious and best brand. The intelligent solution - buying the same product functionality mid-level brand, which makes adequate in their actions people. And society fully accepts his choice.

But there is a certain type of people who literally worship brands. Usually these individuals have a considerable inferiority complex. They believe that even an ordinary, even low-quality thing with a label should be bought than a completely natural and decent one, but without it. Such people increase their own importance in their own eyes, acquiring more and more elite brands.

There is also snobbery, based on an unshakable belief in mental superiority or physical attractiveness. It so happens that this happens at a religious level, as adherents of the correct religion go to Paradise, and everyone else goes to Hell. Or a sense of superiority arises in relation to people with dark skin color or to residents of third world countries. Such a person and society do not have a harmonious relationship, because the person experiences an inner protest before his origin.

Snobbery in art is manifested in the statement that a person is not able to evaluate a real work from the outside. As if this is common sense, but in fact, a real creator creates something at the behest of an inner voice. A connoisseur or an intelligent person interested in art can see something for himself in a work, feel it, without possessing any specific knowledge.

History of origin

The concept of "snob" originated in England and meant a person of the profession "small shoemaker". Then this word began to call individuals who want to join high society and rubbed into the environment of aristocrats. At that time, the hypocrite did not have the appropriate taste in dress, which was very noticeable. But gradually this quality disappeared, since a modern snob is a person who looks fashionable and stylish.

Description "English snob" appeared in Britain in the Victorian era as a result of occurrence of a commercial aristocracy - a new social class. Its representatives are characterized not by a noble origin, but by significance in political and economic spheres. At that time, aristocrats and landowners had a significant influence, but the new class in every possible way sought to acquire the corresponding status.

Is a snob just an upstart?

The snob cannot be called an ordinary upstart simply because he is very careful to keep secret all information about his base origin. However, only a snob might believe so, because all his friends did not believe that their social status is linked any problem requiring concealment.

This is also evidenced by his belief in his uniqueness and belief in the right to occupy a high position. But famous people by and large they are not interested in him as a person, since he only needs from them belonging to a high class.

For example, a careerist may try to communicate with rich and successful people in order to learn from them knowledge and experience, establish relationships that may contribute to career advancement, and make new acquaintances. But the snob believes that he already refers to noble people, so he should communicate only with them. He seems to be playing a role in the theater, creating the scenery for himself.

Snob intellectual, cultural and musical pride

There is such a variety as the intellectual snob, which appeared in the 20th century. This is also true of modern British society. At the heart of such snobbery are special mental abilities, wonderful refined taste. A type of intellectual snobbery is considered a person who understands wine (considers himself so). He believes that his knowledge and taste are special.

There is also a cultural snob. This is a person versed in culture, literature, art, with an encyclopedic mind, who visits art galleries.

A music snob is a proud man who is deeply passionate about music and knows a lot about it. He buys discs in large quantities, attends concerts, monitors the latest trends, understands musical trends, is always aware of new albums coming out and looks forward to them. Such a person is the most harmless of all kinds of snobs. His interlocutors for hours of conversation about reviews, compositions and other things are mostly on the Internet. In fact, one cannot say that a snob is a fully intelligent person, since he only creates the appearance of such.

Fashionable, office and bourgeois snobs

There are snobs who have significant material wealth, allowing them to acquire things that are inaccessible to many. They buy exclusive goods only for the sake of the prestige of owning them bourgeois snobs.

A fashionable snob is a person who is interested in fashionable and expensive clothes of famous brands. Such people disapprove of the owners of simple and inexpensive things.

A person holding intermediate management positions (deputy chief, department head) can be defined as an office snob. The meaning of this concept is in admiration for leadership and an arrogant attitude towards lower-ranking colleagues.

The British themselves are considered an arrogant nation, so they are often accused of snobbery due to overconfidence. For contemporary British society is peculiar manifestation of snobbery in any social class in relation to the representatives of the subordinate class.