Opinion On Confidence vs.'Cockiness'.

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Throughout our lives, we are always going to hear the words "cocky" and "confident". A lot of people associate these two words as basically being one in the same, while many others like myself believe there is a difference between the two. I do believe that there is a fine line between having confidence in oneself, and being so cocky that one comes off as being arrogant. I was taking one of my regular evening walks yesterday, and I thought to myself that it would be a good idea to put down my thoughts on what I consider a difference between the two. This is another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective', and thanks for taking out the time to check it out.

Before I begin to gives my thoughts on this topic, I want to say that I'm no expert on this issue, and that these are strictly my own views. As a matter of fact, I think that this is one of those topics that is very subjective in the sense that there really isn't a right or wrong, but rather a topic that's subject to each individual's own belief. I say that to say this, if you don't agree with me on this particular topic, you totally have that right. Alright, lets get into it. Now before I begin to differentiate what I consider to be two different meanings, lets define what confidence is.

The most basic and straight to the point definition of confidence is defined as "having trust or faith in a person or thing". In my opinion, an individual that is confident in themselves normally hold themselves and their abilities in high regards. I think that a confident person is someone that rarely if at all beats themselves up for making mistakes, and are proud of themselves and certain qualities they may possess. For example, lets use a basketball player in this instance. In my opinion, a confident basketball player doesn't waver often on the court. He may come down and miss three straight baskets, but doesn't let that break his confidence to the point where he is afraid to take the game winning shot if need be. Now lets discuss the word cockiness.

When I looked up the standard definition of the word cocky, I found the following definition to be honest and straight to the point. The definition I found for cocky was "conceited or arrogant, esp. in a bold or cheeky way." I personally think that definition says quite a bit when you think about it for a sec. Now when I personally think of someone that is cocky, I think of someone that could be confident in themselves, but also has a level of insecurity about themselves that they've attempted to bury deep down within to shield from others. These type of individuals normally use their arrogant ways to compensate for an area in their life that they may not be totally happy with. Now despite all of that and whether or not a person can be classified as being cocky or confident, here is what I personally think that distinguishes the two. Again, this is just my own opinion.

There is something that I've noticed about people that I personally consider to be cocky. What I've noticed is that individuals that usually fit this bill compare themselves to other people a lot. When I say a lot, I mean A LOT! See, I don't think there is anything wrong with being confident in who you are, and allowing that confidence to be shown to others. I think that society in general is normally drawn to confident people, who know how to handle and carry themselves with respect towards others. However, when you're the type of person that is constantly talking yourself up, but comparing yourself or your abilities to that of others, then you've crossed that thin line between confident and cocky in my opinion. This especially applies to people that know they can perform better at something than others, or have certain things that someone else may not have. Since I like running, I'll use running as an example. If a runner tells other runners that he or she is a good runner, that is an example of being confident in their ability. However, if the same person says that they are the best runner in the world, they're not only lying because there is always someone better, but they're also comparing what their abilities are to those of other runners. In my opinion, a confident person doesn't need to do that. Why be overly concerned with what the next person can do? Shouldn't you be content with your own abilities?

I think it's normal for us to compare ourselves to others. Many of us use that as a motivating factor to strive to do our best. However, it's not necessary to look down upon someone else just because you can do something better. Confident people are content within their own skin, while cocky people compare what they have or can do to everyone else. At the end of the day, if you're a person that's okay with being cocky, that is fine. However, just remember that most people are turned off by arrogance, and you just may find yourself losing people rather than keeping them. Just my two cents. So to sum it all up, I do believe that there is a fine line between being confident and being cocky. Again, this is a subject that can be interpreted many different ways, so I'm saying again that I'm not saying that my viewpoints are right. It's just how I personally feel on the topic. Anyway, that's all that I have this time around, so thanks again for reading 'Brad H's. Perspective'. Feel free to leave thoughts and feedback. Thanks for stopping through, and I'll see you all in the next post. Peace!