My toughts about showing off for steemit users.

 We generally use the term "showing off" in a very specific way... though I am sure that this varies by culture and sub-culture. However for many people to "show off" comes with an inherent negative connotation. It carries with it the assumption that the action (or some aspect of the action) does not have value in itself, but exists only to try to manipulate others into being impressed.

Thus a performer in a competition who plays better than others is NOT "showing off". If that performer were to add unnecessary flourishes to their performance to try to impress the listeners with their ability then they would be said to be doing so.

This distinction arises, I believe, from two things.

First, in many cultures there is an expectation and a valuing of humility. We feel that individuals who are focused on things other than themselves are morally and functionally superior to those who are concerned first with their own superiority. "Showing off", in this sense of trying to impress others as a primary function of what you are doing, is contrary to this expectation.

Second (and possibly the original source of the first bias) is the fact that those who are "showing off" are not focused primarily on the task itself but on the performance/perception aspect of it. As a result they are likely to do the task itself less well (consider all the times that someone trying to 'show off' ends up with an epic fail as a result instead). They are also likely to be more concerned with being seen than with getting the job done, and less willing to share credit or value the work of others.

In short showing off is a selfish act. Like many selfish acts it likely is a successful short-term strategy in many cases, and might even be a good strategy in a few. But in general selfishness is a poor long-term or global strategy. Those who are aware of this are likely to have a lower opinion of you for doing it -- quite the opposite of the presumed goal of showing off in the first place. 

part of the reason is that it reflects an insecurity. Someone who shows off needs people to know that they are good at something. They need people's approval to actually be satisfied with their skill, which implies a lack of self-confidence.

That said, showing off for the right reasons is great. If it's a task that needs to be done for other reasons (car repair, first aid, etc.), then people will know you didn't just do it for attention and approval, but you did it because it's useful. You can also have friends ask you to show off, which works for the same reason, although I think people are still skeptical of the intentions of someone who is eager to show off as soon as someone asks.

As a corollary, if you have friends who have talents they could show off, try to give them opportunities to display them (E.g.: "Hey there's a piano there, can you play that song I like?").