Build ‘Objective Confidence’ To Avoid The Egotism Trap

Build ‘Objective Confidence’ To Avoid The Egotism Trap

Having confidence in your skills is essential to your success. Ego-driven bluster is less so. If you want to be confident but worry about becoming an egomaniac, focus on being objective.

Photo by Pablo BM.

As business site Entrepreneur explains, confidence is almost always something you can back up. If you know what skills you have, you can be confident in them without fear because you know what they are. Ego happens when you start to think more highly of yourself than your skills can backup. If you want to tell the difference, simply be objective:

“There is a clear distinction between real confidence and ego,” Holiday said. It’s important to believe in yourself and have confidence in who you are. But true confidence is based on an objective look at your strengths and abilities.
 
Taking stock of your competency is different from being arrogant or cocky. “When you let your ego take over, you are accepting dangerous delusions that can cause you to act with reckless abandon,” Holiday said. “Ego is stolen, but confidence is earned.”

If you’re not sure about your own skills, ask for outside input. Find a friend or colleague who can give you an honest appraisal of your talents. Then, listen to their advice. You can also look at external measures of your success. Your career or accomplishments say tangible things about your skills, so don’t ignore them. It’s ok to be humble, but denying reality isn’t humility, it’s just denial.

5 Hacks to Keep Your Ego From Squashing Your Success [Entrepreneur]


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