How should we act when awarded?

This has been a question on my mind for some time now. I recently competed in a competition and placed 2nd. I was called up onto stage and was handed my medal and moved into a room to take pictures. The whole time, from my walk down to the stage to the moment I met my friends and received their congratulations. I couldn't help but just smile and think how I should act. If I was to smile to big, would I be considered pompous? If I didn't smile enough, would I be considered cold and ungrateful? If I didn't say thank you to everyone saying congratulations, would I be considered selfish and egotistical? If I wore the medal for to long, would I look arrogant and self absorbed? How should one act when being awarded? Is there even a proper way to do so?

I look forward to everyone's response. Please help to shed some light on this situation for me!

Stretch out with your feelings.

Consider every single friend and family member who directly or indirectly supported your path to victory.

Be grateful for them.

Extend the brilliance of your happiness to them.

You are a winner. Don't stop smiling

“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” – Lao Tzu

I usually scream - Cheeee hooo as loud as I can most times and I got my happy dance perfected -
Others smile or join in along with me - it’s one of those non gyrating non sexual type of dances you can do with any one in your own space and actually enjoy - ya know like - the two step or the fox trot or even the Hula or Haka- smileys face.
Have you ever seen some one act the way you wanted ? Ever seen a character displayed worth having or seeking? That’s one of the joys of being human - the freedom to choose a lot of different things. Happy seeking

short answer....act just the same as you would if you didn't know any awards were going to be given...an award is a recognition of your acts or deeds...if you conduct yourself expecting to be given an award then the award means nothing...

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.” – Lao Tzu

This is very important. No matter how loveable or charismatic you are, you will always have someone hating on you. So don't act centered around the question "will this please everyone?". Instead, act with the question "is this what I believe is good?".

"if you ain't got at least 9 people hatin' on you, you doing somethin' wrong" -kat williams-

I can think of a little green dude who didn't much care for the perception of others, s'long as he knew he was on the path.

Do what comes naturally, the rest doesn't matter.

Olympus wrote: This has been a question on my mind for some time now. I recently competed in a competition and placed 2nd. I was called up onto stage and was handed my medal and moved into a room to take pictures. The whole time, from my walk down to the stage to the moment I met my friends and received their congratulations. I couldn't help but just smile and think how I should act. If I was to smile to big, would I be considered pompous? If I didn't smile enough, would I be considered cold and ungrateful? If I didn't say thank you to everyone saying congratulations, would I be considered selfish and egotistical? If I wore the medal for to long, would I look arrogant and self absorbed? How should one act when being awarded? Is there even a proper way to do so?

I look forward to everyone's response. Please help to shed some light on this situation for me!

If you have to ask you're doing it wrong. Act natural. If you want jump and down like a maniac then do it. Don't act at all. When you're acting it doesn't change who you are. It's just putting on a show because you "Fear" how others will perceive you. And that fear can be a path to the dark side.

If you don't want to be that person that seems pompous or ungrateful then simply be humble and grateful and then be yourself. If you are pompous (which doesn't seem so) then you have to accept it before you can change it. And then you change it from within not from without. It is harder for that internal change to come if you keep editing yourself to be perceived a certain way. It's the same as wearing a mask. If you wear a mask all the time people don't really know what your real face looks like. And if they can't see your real face, do they really know you? Or could anyone simply take off a mask and say they were you the whole time? How could they tell the difference between 2 people wearing the same mask?

I say this as someone who wears a mask at times. But my mask is not about being afraid but more about hiding the truth from people who would be hurt by it (a constant challenge to their beliefs). My general personality, nature, character are all truthful and always my true self. And I don't have a need to hurt them or have unnecessary conflict that outweighs my need for those same people to see the truth. So I'm not saying always be you and never second guess the face you show people. But rather it must be balanced and putting a mask on and taking it off should be limited so that you don't forget you're wearing a mask, what the mask is for, and so you don't forget how to take the mask off.

ZealotX wrote: If you are pompous (which doesn't seem so) then you have to accept it before you can change it.

It does not necessarily follow that accepting it leads to changing it. If you have no contrition for pompous action then accepting it becomes an act of integration, not of rejection or modification. Everything in our lives can be used positively or negatively. being pompous is no different. When harnessed and used wisely it can be very powerful. It is a natural way to build confidence. one performs at a higher standard because we believe they can. It cuts those unwanted people from your circle as well. The ability to ignore the distressing acts of others is valuable in your own personal accomplishment. You will be the one to take a stand when others are afraid. It allows you to be outside your comfort zone. You will be the one making decisions for yourself instead of allowing others to. Harnessed in these ways it can be a positive influence in your life.

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

ZealotX wrote: If you are pompous (which doesn't seem so) then you have to accept it before you can change it.

It does not necessarily follow that accepting it leads to changing it. If you have no contrition for pompous action then accepting it becomes an act of integration, not of rejection or modification. Everything in our lives can be used positively or negatively. being pompous is no different. When harnessed and used wisely it can be very powerful. It is a natural way to build confidence. one performs at a higher standard because we believe they can. It cuts those unwanted people from your circle as well. The ability to ignore the distressing acts of others is valuable in your own personal accomplishment. You will be the one to take a stand when others are afraid. It allows you to be outside your comfort zone. You will be the one making decisions for yourself instead of allowing others to. Harnessed in these ways it can be a positive influence in your life.

I respectfully disagree.

Being pompous is an extreme of self-esteem. Self-esteem isn't binary. So let's say pompous is hot water and completely selfless humility is cold water.

The balance, which you get from integration, is then not pompous but "good self-esteem" where the potential for extremes are neutralizing. I think I'm great. BUT... I also think you are too. I do. And so, in the balance, I just think I'm good. See? It's relative. You can be great, but when you consider other people's greatness then it takes more for one person to be "exceptional" and they may be exceptional in one area where someone else has the "Gold" in another area. Everyone cannot be rich. For one to be rich someone else has to be poor. Therefore, if I want everyone to be rich then no one is rich.

But when it comes to certain competitions like sports, sometimes it shows that one person is "naturally more talented" than another... or... one person works harder than another... or one person may have had a better day or was better prepared or one of many other variable that allowed them to win that time. And maybe if the same competition is repeated they'll lose. Or if you gave the same training to one of their competitors they would lose. Who knows? Some times David wins and sometimes its Goliath. One should certainly be happy to win and celebrate. It feels good. But it doesn't make you more important than others or negate their ability to win. A win should always be kept in perspective and so often even though star athletes are the ones who get interviewed they often give credit to their team, coaches, parents, etc. Humility is just spreading out that credit to other people who deserve some of it too whether they claim to or not. But it is this thinking about others that helps to remove all of the focus from one's self and presents a more balanced internal perspective. And in doing so you are not or no longer pompous, but within the normal healthy range of self-esteem. And yes I consider esteem that is too high or low to be unhealthy.

My philosophy is on in which I think its healthy to operate in extremes. We are who we are and to try and deny our natures is just as unhealthy as operating in an unnatural extreme place. Because of this if we learn to embrace our extremes and incorporate them into our lives in a productive manner we become better and more complete persons!

Second; strategic, hungry............ but be centered with yourself in balance to relax and reconnect to self, don't want to neglect injuries etc. Noting that while the competition is over, keep playing fair. Remember to debrief yourself, lessons to be learned and look out for the welfare of your self and other competitors post comp. If you appear beaten by not winning, then next time they'll think your seeing an uphill battle. Make em think you've just learned their weakness and next time they are toast, without overtly expressing as much

Let go of your conscious self and act humbly.

Depends on the circumstances.

An award given in private is a genuine thing, an acknowledgment and thanks for your efforts or success, these should probably be received gratefully and humbly.

An award given in public might have nothing to do with you - it may be an award that *someone* had to win, and it's more about making a mob think that there are awards to be had.

These can be received in whatever fashion is suitable for that particular audience - as you a probably a member of that "mob", I suppose you have to judge what the appropriate attitude is at the time.