Why are people self deprecating around a certain person?

[Anonymous]

For instance by saying that they temselves are arrogant, untalented, silly etc. when they are confident around others? Do they do it because they feel superior and are they trying to make the other person feel better about themselves or do they feel inferior?

[Bricealan]

On a new job at Boeing, a guy asked me about a manufacturing process, that I learned on a prior job, and I knew what he was talking about. He asked me HOW I knew that?

I replied" Duh, Dennis, I'm not as stupid as I look! He replied, "Couldn't be" !

Every day, he and the other members of our work group came buy and asked me to go to lunch with them. They knew I was up to speed with them and that I was not a know it all' nor arrogant about my job experience.

[Asker]

No one asks me out for lunch because everyone assumes I'm uninteresting and not intelligent enough. :(

[Bricealan]

You should not feel that way since I am sure you do not know what others think of you.

[Asker]

You said they were asking you out for lunch because you are up to speed. So if my coworkers ask others out but not me maybe they assume I'm not smart

[jahaims]

Could be a lot of reasons. Could try to beat someone to an insult because it is better than someone else saying it. It could be like a friend saying man I am putting on weight and then I grab my belly and say same. Context matters

[Asker]

At work?

[Anonymous]

Maybe this other person makes them feel inferior.