Our society often rewards those who exude self-assurance and confidence, which is why many of us believe that these traits are the key to success, whether in the workplace or our personal lives.
While it is true that having confidence is a good thing, too much of it can come off as being arrogant and narcissistic. This is why you need to develop confidence, without arrogance, if you want to succeed in life.
Appearing confident is important in success and a critical life skill!
There is also a fine line between being confident and being arrogant, so you have to be careful. Both share similar traits, such as speaking one’s mind and showing assertiveness. However, the motives behind a person’s arrogance and confidence couldn’t be more different.
Confidence vs. Arrogance
Confidence is having self-assurance that comes from trusting our abilities and appreciating our qualities. To be confident means that we know we believe in our strengths and are also aware of our weaknesses.
Arrogance is defined as having an exaggerated sense of one’s importance and abilities. An arrogant person would often have an overbearing way of showing off their skills, talents, and achievements.
In some cultures, your behavior could be considered arrogant when it clashes with the defined beliefs of the group. For example, an outspoken and self-assured woman, who confidently carries herself, may seem arrogant in a society that values meekness and demureness in women.
Signs of Arrogant Behavior
We all know people who can’t seem to stop talking about themselves and their accomplishments. They just love to interject a conversation with anything they can say about themselves, and sprout their exceptional skills and talents.
These are just some examples of arrogant behavior. Arrogant people like to talk about themselves excessively. They believe that they are better than everyone else, and it is their right to let you know that.
Often, arrogant people have no qualms about using condescending language and talking over people, as they believe they have the right to do that, as they are better than others. They also do not show interest in others, making it difficult to form a genuine relationship with them.
Arrogant people often appear to be know-it-alls. They believe they are correct and may argue just to prove a point. As a result, these people have difficulties admitting their mistakes and often gaslight others to appear superior.
Because of this behavior, arrogant people are not good listeners as they are constantly looking for ways to assert their importance and superiority over others.
While all these behaviors may seem to be aggressive, the reality is that deep down, arrogant people are insecure. It is their way of masking their insecurities. They may belittle and demean people they see as threats, but the truth is that they are simply jealous and afraid that they are not as good as they wish they were.
Psychologists have labeled feeling superior over others as a type of defense mechanism to deflect any weaknesses or insecurities these types of people may possess. No matter how hard they act all high and mighty towards others, the fact remains that arrogant people are weak and insecure.
Confident People Are Self-Assured
While some characteristics of arrogance and confidence may overlap, the truth is that the differences between the two could not be more glaring. Unlike an arrogant person, someone who is confident has a strong sense of self. They believe in their own strengths while also being fully aware of their weaknesses.
Confident people do not need other people’s validation of their capabilities because they have strong self-esteem. As a result, they do not have the urge to brag about their achievements as a way to fluff their egos because they already know their self-worth.
Being confident also means being able to show empathy towards others. Having confidence allows us to see people not as threats to our egos but rather as colleagues whom we can share and learn from. Our self-confidence will enable us to listen and connect better with others and treat people with respect.
A person’s confidence can also inspire others to achieve goals. This is why great managers and leaders exude self-confidence that inspires their colleagues, rather than demotivates them as arrogant people often do.
Having trust and belief in our capabilities enables us to let others shine. Ultimately, confident people are self-assured and do not need other people’s attention to make them feel good about themselves.
Confidence may be misconstrued as arrogance in some instances, but make no mistake – arrogance repels people while confidence attracts. Therefore, those who confuse confidence with arrogance need to take a closer look, as these two could not be any more different from each other.
Now it is time to develop your confidence and use this powerful skill to achieve all that you desire!
