tendency to embellish his stature in the eyes of the captain
Over the years I've seen quite a bit of this behavior from both ex-military and ex-general aviation types who have previous command experience and who apparently have trouble accepting the new position in their flying life as a co-pilot rather than a Captain.
Everyone has a different background and various and interesting stories to tell. I listen to them all and find all the stories fascinating. One thing I never do is get into a pissing contest by bringing up my background, which after flying for over 35 years, in the airlines and in the military, has had some interesting moments.
Quite often after being given a severe 'listening to' any adverse pressure on the cockpit gradient disappears.
Regards,
BH.