Arrogance: noun – an exaggerated sense of one’s own  importance, from the Latin “arrogant” claiming for oneself

Years ago, my sister and I treated ourselves to a day on the town, culminating in a meal at a posh seafront restaurant. Prominent notices were displayed at the entrance stating that proper attire was required. This included shirts and ties for men, footwear for all.

As we were enjoying our meal and the ambience, we were startled to see a middle-aged man in the center of the dining room, clad in swim gear, shirtless and possibly shoeless. He was engaged in a serious conversation with the manager.  Gradually, we realized the “gentleman” was very much in charge of the situation and the manager was writing down directions of some sort. The sparsely clad intruder then left, not by the front entrance but by a side door that opened onto a deck.

When we finished our meal and got up to leave, we glanced out that side door. A very large yacht was moored at a dock that connected to the restaurant. The gentleman apparently had been giving a meal order to the manager. It occurred to us that it would have been just as easy for the yachtsman to change into suitable clothing before coming into the dining area, but in his defiance of house rules and common courtesy, he demonstrated an arrogance that emphasized his belief in his own superiority.

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