How to Tell if Someone Is a Poser

Reviewed by Seth Hall

Last Updated: April 23, 2024 References

Poseurs can be found in various settings, whether they’re pretending to like a certain show or faking a whole suite of skills. In every case, a poseur pretends to be something or someone that they aren’t, usually to get attention. You can usually identify a poser from the way they act, dress or talk. Some posers will put their efforts towards developing a fake social media personality, and seeing through this can be a bit trickier.

1

Look for excessive showing off.

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A poseur will use any chance to show off the thing they’re “obsessed” with. Look for stickers, apparel, and other items that relate to what they claim to love. For instance, posers within the car scene will cover their cars in stickers as a cry for attention.^{[1]
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- If that backpack or t-shirt from a popular comic book is brand new, but the wearer claims to have been a fan forever, you might have a poseur on your hands.

2

Notice specific brand names.

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Poseurs will try hard to show they're part of a community. Beyond simply looking at the things they own, look for specific company names that relate to the poseur’s claimed obsession. This is especially true of poseurs within communities such as skateboarding and surfing.^{[2]
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- There’s a delicate balance between wearing brands you like and wearing them for attention. A poser is likely to have brand names on everything they own.

3

See if they’re just following a popular trend.

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Poseurs are more likely to jump on a bandwagon than try and be themselves. Check what they claim to be obsessed about, whether it’s a band, a TV show or just a specific kind of identity. Ask yourself if this is a popular trend, especially if it’s a new trend.
- A perfect example of this is the “geek” phenomenon. If you go back a couple of decades, it wasn’t at all cool to be a geek; it meant you were obsessed with a particular hobby or facet of pop culture. Geekdom is now more mainstream, and some posers will claim they’re geeks just to fit in.^{[3]
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4

Check how loud they are about the thing they love.

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Poseurs love to talk about the things they love more than do them. In contrast, someone who’s truly passionate about a hobby, a skill or a specific community usually lets their passion do the talking.
- Someone who’s thoroughly passionate about something will talk about it at length if asked, whereas a poser will shove it in just about anyone’s face.^{[4]
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5

Look for fake behavior.

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Compare a poser's behavior to other people's. Depending on your area of passion, there are a few specific behaviors that will make a poseur stand out. It might take some time to actually pick out these behaviors, so pay close attention to suspected poseurs.
- For example, a poseur pretending to be a surfer may have a really nice board, but won’t properly wax or take care of it.^{[5]
  X
  Research source} Not properly handling the tools of the trade is a classic sign of a poser.

6

Test their knowledge.

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Ask a poser about the topic they claim to be passionate about. While the best way to deal with a poser is to simply ignore them, there might be situations where you decide to confront them. If you want to be sure they’re a poseur, simply test them on what they claim to know so much about.
- Poseurs are so focused on the way they come across to people that they don’t usually know what they’re talking about. They’ll repeat things that are common knowledge, but dig a bit deeper and you should be able to expose them.
- For instance, some poseurs might act like they’re really into cars. If you want to test them, just get them to pop the hood and tell you about what their car’s got. If they stumble, or try to get out of it, you might have found a poser.^{[6]
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7

Check up on their social media followers.

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A really dedicated poseur can easily purchase fans, views, and followers. This will artificially inflate their social media accounts, making it seem like they have a large following. To get to the bottom of this, look at the relationship between your suspected poseur and their fans. You can also check the profiles of their followers; if the profiles are empty, they’re likely not real followers.
- Social media is essentially a more complicated, high tech conversation. If there are no comments or likes on the suspected poseur’s posts, it’s a one way conversation and you might be dealing with a poseur.^{[7]
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8

Look for quality posts.

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Buying followers means poseurs don’t have to worry about putting out quality posts. Even without a following, poseurs will focus on posts that can bring the most attention, rather than putting out something important and creative.
- People who are truly passionate about their hobby or interest will release content that helps to educate others or celebrates their passion.^{[8]
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  Research source} Poseurs treat it like a science; they’re just after the views.

9

Pay attention to how often they post.

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The scheduling of a person’s posts can tell you about how they treat their social media accounts. A poseur might try and use their social media accounts like a brand or company: minimizing effort and maximizing their following. Someone who’s truly passionate is more likely to post as the mood strikes them; maybe they come across something particularly funny or important they really want to share.
- If the suspected poseur runs their social media on a tight schedule, your suspicions likely have some truth to them.^{[9]
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Tips

Try talking to the person you’ve identified as a poseur. You might be able to help them be themselves rather than someone who tries to get attention.

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Before getting angry at someone for being a poseur, try to understand where they’re coming from. They’re probably not trying to make you mad on purpose.

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The best way to deal with a poseur is to ignore them. They crave attention, and will move on once they realize they can’t get it.

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