A superiority complex is an attitude of superiority that often hides real feelings of inferiority and failure. Most people who suffer from a superiority complex feel inadequate deep within themselves and, as a result, treat others as inferior. They see themselves as superior to those around them and are often condescending, quick to judge, and alert to the shortcomings of others. Yet somehow they always manage to overlook their own imperfections. Both Connie, a teenager with an inclination towards independence and in love with herself, and Granny, a self-proclaimed woman stuck in the past and who has no qualms about manipulating others to get what she wants, have superiority complexes which do not shatter until they are faced with danger. They each have their own sudden realization only moments before they are violently torn from their worlds, Grandma through death and Connie through kidnapping. As a result they never have the opportunity to use this newfound self-awareness. Connie from Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" and the grandmother from Flannery O'Conner's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" are both flawed characters who believe they are superior to others until they reach a 'epiphany that comes too late. Connie, who is incredibly superficial, considers others inferior to her; however, he actually craves the attention of strangers because he feels insufficient. Connie feels bad about herself because she feels that her mother "keeps picking on her." She compensates for this insecurity by fabricating a false sense of superiority. She is so desperate to eradicate these flaws in herself, that she points it out... halfway through the paper... immediately before it's too late to make a difference in the outcome of their undesirable situation. stated that bullies are cruel to others because they feel inferior. This belief is linked to the idea of ​​the superiority complex. Similar to Connie, a bully is quick to notice the flaws of others and, comparable to her grandmother, is readily willing to exploit them. In general, people with superiority complexes do not go out of their way to treat others kindly, or may even seem spiteful, because most of the time they are completely self-absorbed. As a result, they will ultimately suffer the consequences, whether on a large scale like Connie and Grandma, or on a smaller scale, such as the loss of friends or the eventual realization of flaws they had previously thought non-existent. Works Cited Book of short stories