In a bid to give opinion on the self-confidence vs Arrogance it is crucial to give a backgrounder of what “confidence & arrogance” stand for.
According to Wikipedia, ” Confidence is a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective.
Confidence comes from a latin word fidere’ which means “to trust”; therefore, having a self-confidence is having “trust in one’s self”.
Arrogance or hubris in this comparison is having unmerited confidence – believing something or someone is capable or correct when they are not.
Overconfidence or presumptuousness is excessive belief in someone (or something) succeeding, without any regard for failure.
Confidence also can be a self-fulfilling prophecy as those without it may fail or not try because they lack it and those with it may succeed because they have it rather than because of an innate ability”.
Having established the above background, it is also required of us to know who is an arrogant fellow?
According to finding, an arrogant person can be described as one who acts as if he or she is superior, more valuable or important than others and underestimates them. …
Arrogance implies a desire to dominate and excessive confidence in one’s abilities, as well as seeing oneself as worthy of success.
Again from my opening savour, I did state that self confidence means, ‘trust in one’s self’ while ‘arrogant on the other hand means one who acts as if he or she is superior, more valuable or important than others and underestimates them’.
Now let me quickly point out that being sure or trust what you carry does not mean you should be arrogant about it or make you fellow that you are superior ( being arrogant ) than others after all, they are some people who know what you know right where you are boasting that are not talking.
Let me give an encounter of what I experienced recently between me and my potential employer.
‘ I recently attended an interview for a post of an “Internal Auditor” as advertised by my potential employer.
During the cause of the said interview, I discovered that my Potential Employer could not differentiate between Internal Auditor & External Auditor. Wow!
Instead of being arrogant and feel pompous at my potential employer’s knowledge setback, I implored to explain to her in a soft and a friendly manner how an Internal Auditor is different from an External Auditor.
At the end of the day, having witnessed what I could offer, the woman gave me a higher offer to train her staff on resources allocation… ‘
That is by the way, but let me emphasis here that if not for self-confidence , how many potential employees could/can look into their potential Employers’ eyeballs and correct them intelligently without their employers being upset or felling embarrassed?
Assuming I was timid or portrayed a ‘cowardship’ posture, how would the woman had discovered my capability?
Again, assuming I was rude ( arrogant ) in my correction, that is, making my potential employer to feel inferior before me, do you think I could have still secured a business or job from this woman who was dressed like firstlady or Leed University, female Lecturers? Lol!
As I try to drive home my point, let me stress here that, to avoid arrogant while demonstrating our self-confidence, we must strive hard to be cautious of our; body language (gesticulation), our choice of words and of course our mood of presentation.
This is where the application of “Request and Command ” in grammar are very essentials.
By implication, if you are not cautious of the application of “request and command” in grammar, you might be accused of arrogant in a quest to display self confidence.
Finally, self-confidence is not a call or an invitation to see others as an inferior beings but an opportunity to display or exhume self worth and convince others though in a polite manner.
Sani Michael Omakoji
From The Nation’s Capital
Abuja – Nigeria.
