Confidence or Conceit?

Confidence is a great feeling to have. But too much confidence leads you to become over-confident (conceited). What is the difference between confidence and conceit, then? The conceit is also known as vain pride and it usually results from overly high self-esteem, which, if you’re not able to tell, is bad for your progress as a successful human being.

And please don’t get me wrong: There’s nothing wrong with believing in you. You should always feel good about yourself and believe in you. The problem only starts when you take it to a whole different level and your confidence goes into overdrive – causing you to believe that you are literally the best. That, my friend, is conceit.

Confidence: “I understand, I can’t be liked by everyone.”

Conceit: “I know everyone loves me.”

Most people who are conceited about themselves are basically overcompensating for something which makes them insecure. But it doesn’t mean that it cannot be fixed. If you can’t decide between the two, all you need is to ask yourself (honestly) about the origin of your confidence, are you really that good at everything that you are literally the best? Or is it just your defense mechanism over compensating for your weaknesses?

If you are still not able to decide, Let’s crack the mystery and learn how to fix the problem. Here are 10 pointers that can help you realize how much of a pain you are for people around you, or not. Just be honest with yourself.

You always have to do better than everyone else

Seriously, you need to chill. You can’t always be the best, and frankly there is no need to. Often you have to make up a “way cooler” story after you listen to someone’s cool story or learn about their abilities. You always have to have the best story, don’t you?

You’re always freakin’ right

If someone does not agree, they’re wrong. No one can be a more authentic source of information than you, right? I mean; you obviously know more about everything than everyone else. You often find yourself arguing with people about things you don’t even know because you just don’t want to end up losing.

In a conversation, you speak more than you listen

You have something much more important to say than the person who is speaking and you just can’t wait till they finish speaking. Imagine if the same happened to you. Doesn’t feel good, right?

You can’t ask for anyone’s help

You need the help but you can’t ask for it. I mean, are they even your friends if they don’t have a psychic connection to your brain? They should come rushing to help you whenever you need it, But you should never have to “request” for anyone’s assistance, Right?.

You deserve all the credit. Always

You always single-handedly make everything happen. Teamwork doesn’t exist. You did all the work and there’s no reason for you to mention other people who were in your “Group”. It was just you.

How dare someone criticize you?

I thought we already discussed it; you’re the best. So how can someone criticize the best? There is no such thing as constructive criticism, it’s all bullshit. You’re so great that everyone is just jealous of you. Got the difference between confidence and conceit?

You’re not like most people

You are one of a kind. There is a higher chance of them finding two identical snowflakes, than finding another person like you. You are a different species of human altogether. This is clear enough to explain the difference between confidence and conceit.

You always come first, No matter what!

Your world starts from you, takes two trips around the universe, and ends on you. In every situation, you always think about yourself first. You are just so precious that you always have to be on the receiving end of things.

You just don’t care

No matter what you do, you don’t even care how it might affect other people, that’s their problem. Rude, Condescending and Insulting are your three best qualities.

You are a level above everyone else

You always doubt the intelligence of everyone, because they don’t know what they’re talking about. But you do and you always feel like you have to keep telling this to yourself.

How to fix you?

So you’ve just come to realize how much of an ass you are. That’s a bummer. But don’t worry. Here’s what you do:

First off you need to understand that you don’t always have to be the best, nor do you always have to be right. There is nothing bad about admitting it when you have been wrong. Human beings grow and evolve through a process of learning and understanding. This actually governs the difference between confidence and conceit that an individual can possess.

Here is how:

  • When in an argument, try to relax and think rationally about what the other person is telling you.
  • Admit it when you’re wrong and rely more on the facts in your arguments, instead of emotion.
  • When you have to choose between you and someone else, Try to create a win-win situation.
  • Every once in a while, try to see things from someone else’s point of view.
  • Evaluate yourself and learn to appreciate people who care about you.
  • When someone criticizes you, Analyze yourself and try to see what negative qualities you have that may be troublesome for the people around you.
  • Care for the people around you, Even strangers, and try not to hurt anyone’s feelings.
  • When criticizing someone, Make it constructive and positive so that it can be helpful and understandable to them.
  • Understand that you’re a human being like everyone else and that you are bound to make mistakes every now and then.
  • Lastly, Learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid of failure. Because as humans; We learn by failing over and over.
  • Just be honest with yourself and try to overcome your shortcomings. Soon everyone you meet will stop pretending to like you, and start liking you for real.

This is all you need to have for establishing yourself as confident but not conceited. That is what actually shows the difference between confidence and conceit. I hope you have got your approach clear now?