In today’s post, we’re going to continue our ‘What’s the difference’ series where we look at misunderstandings between two similar concepts. Last time we talked about self-love and selfishness. Today, we’re going to be talking about the difference between confidence and arrogance. Which trait do you have? Let’s discuss.
Who do you focus on?
Something I’ve noticed about the most confident people is that they tend to be extremely focused on their path and purpose. They feel no need to show off their accomplishments because they:
- Found their why.
- Motivate themselves using internal factors.
- Chase progress over perfection.
On the other hand, arrogant people hyper-fixate on their supposed ‘competition’. What are they doing? How much have they progressed? Are they close to me? It becomes an obsession. They constantly need to let others know how well they are doing because they:
- Base their value on how much better they are than others.
- Motivate themselves using external factors.
- Chase the illusion of perfection.
How do you treat your competitors?
Confident people believe that their skills and accomplishments can stand many different trials, and so they welcome competition from their peers. In fact, they’re aware that the higher the standard of competition, the more skilled they can become in the long run. As a result, confident people tend to uplift their competitors, sharing information where possible.
However, arrogant people tend to view their competitors in an extremely negative way. They see them only as tools to stroke their ego. In reality, they don’t care about the overall standard of their competition as long as they are at the top. And they will do whatever it takes to stay there. This can take the form of backstabbing, withholding information, and creating unnecessary conflict, to get ahead in life.
How much do you know?
This question is a very quick and effective test to determine if you have confidence or arrogance. If your answer is that you know it all and there’s nothing left to learn, then you’ve become arrogant.
The world is an evolving place, and there is always more information coming out every day on any giving topic. The chances of you knowing every single thing there is to know about your field is slim to none, and thinking otherwise suggests that you’re deep on the path to arrogance.
Confident people tend to realise that there is never an endpoint when it comes to learning. They realise that there will always be more information out there that they can learn. As a result, they are content with what they know and what they don’t know. This puts them in a growth mindset, a good position to have a successful life.
What do you think about the difference between confidence and arrogance? Is there an absolute distinction between the two or do you think it’s more like a spectrum? Let me know in the comments below, I’m curious!
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