The defilement of māna, or conceit, ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro

The defilement of māna, or conceit, is rooted in two ideas: one is measurement and the other is holding up a flag.

We measure ourselves against others. We hold up an idea of ourself like a flag, as if to say: ‘Look at me. This is who I am.’

There are three kinds of conceit;

‘I am superior to you’

‘I am inferior to you’

‘I am equal to you’

In religious groups ‘I am inferior to you’ is often mistaken for humility. In democratic societies ‘I am equal to you’ is often not seen as conceit at all. But whenever we have a fixed idea of who we are, whether superior, inferior or equal to others, we fall into the trap of conceit

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