Although there may seem to be a fine line between confidence and arrogance, the difference is huge.
What is the Big Difference Between Confidence and Arrogance?
Confidence is self-assuredness, where the individual holds justified beliefs in their abilities that have been developed over time, whereas arrogance is an inflated sense of one’s abilities that does not represent one’s true character. Confidence is earned, and arrogance is not.
People typically associate arrogance with low self-esteem and confidence with an authentic sense of self-worth. Ultimately, people admire confidence and typically get annoyed by arrogance.
What is Confidence?
Confidence comes from knowing and assessing one’s abilities and qualities realistically. It is when people believe in themselves because they know how they are going to perform in a given situation and that they will be able to handle any outcome.
Confidence does not have to mean that you believe you will always succeed. Confidence can also mean that you think you will be OK if you do not. A confident person can win or lose with dignity.
What is Arrogance?
Arrogance is an inflated sense of self-worth or an outward projection of self-worth. It is a type of exaggerated sense of yourself. An arrogant person does not accurately assess themselves and can have poor self-awareness.
A person who thinks they can do something without having any reason to believe so is typically arrogant. Arrogance is also commonly seen when people are very concerned with how others feel about them and go out of their way to impress others. Arrogance can be a person’s attempt at displaying confidence and overcompensating outwardly for a lack of confidence inwardly.
Confidence is Better than Arrogance
Arrogant people are often exposed as such. Their behavior can be apparent and cause adverse reactions from others. A confident person comes off as more attractive and likable than an arrogant one.
Confident people enter situations with more realistic expectations and goals, whereas arrogant people risk overestimating themselves and their ability to handle given situations.
Arrogant people are also often more concerned with how they are perceived than with their abilities to handle a situation.
How to Develop Confidence
Confidence comes from having a growth mindset and an authentic interest in accurate self-assessment. If you accept that you are not perfect, you can then make efforts to work on yourself. An arrogant person does not see room for improvement because working on yourself first requires accepting your imperfections. Working on yourself is a great way to build confidence because you see results that allow you to grow as a person.
Example of Confidence vs Arrogance
I always think of basketball when I think of confidence and arrogance. I imagine two men playing a one-on-one game. The arrogant man runs his mouth, talking about how amazing he is, and then the confident man keeps his mouth shut and quietly beats the other guy in the game.
I think this is a great way to imagine confidence vs arrogance. You don’t need to run your mouth if you know you are good. Arrogant people tell others how amazing they are, whereas confident people show them.
Confidence or Arrogance
Self-confidence is a much better attribute than arrogance. Deciding to work on yourself and build confidence is a productive mindset that will lead to greater life success.
