It's not an identity issue, it's an inferiority complex. He needs to pump himself up, so he does 2 things - praises himself and attacks others to bring them down. It's easy to tell when he gets a new identity by the way he praises himself for providing "great information" [I don't think talking about little birdies exactly qualifies as great information].

And yes, it's best to just stay out of it (not always easy to do, mind you).