The Perils of Overconfidence

In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, our society conveys the message that we should be a strong, confident person. We shouldn’t hesitate to grab what we want and express our views in a direct, forceful way. Being tentative, faltering, or uncertain earns us the reputation of being weak and indecisive. Assertiveness rules. Extraversion is prized. Humility is shameful. Do we pay a hidden price in our quest to be uncompromisingly assertive and project an image of strength and confidence?  Is it possible to become overconfident? No doubt you’ve met people who dazzle you with their apparent self-confidence and assertiveness. They may even trigger feelings of insecurity in you, leaving you feeling envious toward their self-assured air and verbal communication skills. Turn on the news and it’s hard to avoid seeing politicians and pundits who appear to be super self-assured, who ruthlessly criticize and shame people who disagree with them.     Perhaps in your romantic life you’ve been drawn to confident individuals. But as you got to know them better, you might have realized that what looked like self-confidence turned out to be arrogance — a blustery cover-up for a hidden fear and fragility.  Hypnotized and fatally attracted by a person’s overconfidence, we might take a hard fall when we realize that their personality developed in way to compensate for poor self-worth and insecurity. Similar to a prominent politician whom many people love or hate, what appears to be ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Habits Mindfulness Perfectionism Personality Assertiveness Borderline Personality Disorder Confidence emotional rigidity Insecurity Narcissism Resilience splitting Source Type: blogs