Asinus asinum fricat

Or in other words, the jackass rubs the jackass. Describes two individuals heaping excessive praise on one another. Sound familiar? Give someone a compliment and he is all modesty, "oh it was nothing really, surely it does not compare with you and yours..." to which the appropriate response nowadays is to understate your own and exaggerate his. I was not aware of the time when modesty became a way of angling for more praise. Admit it, chances are you've done it yourself once in a while. Now funnily enough, not only do people object to your modesty, they also object to your pride. "90 for English?!! So high wan!!!" "Yes indeed, thank you." "Oh! so berlagak adi lar!" But if only you had returned praise for praise they would have continued lauding your achievements no end. Humans can be so contrary, no? But that's what makes humanity so fun...all the lovely paradoxes of social etiquette.