There are some individuals who succeed not because they are really good… But because they believe they are.
And the most disturbing thing is: Most of the time they are right.
Confidence does not have to be completely in line with reality.
Actually, rarely is it this way.
The world is not dominated by those who are geniuses but are full of self-doubts…
…It is dominated by average people who are totally convinced of their own greatness.
So here is something I want to make very clear: Do not create a logical confidence.
Create an inexplicably one.
Because history hasn’t been made by realistic people…
…But by those who believed in something unimaginable.
1) Realism: Morality of the Weak?
Since the cradle, we have been repeatedly told the same things:
Be aware of your limitations.
Don’t exaggerate.
Be realistic.
Who are you to think that you can do that?
These statements look harmless at first glance.
However, in truth, they are basically mental conditioning.
Intended, not to guard you… But to restrain you.
Nietzsche was very accurate when he said: People fear those who have power, so they find weaknesses of the strong individuals.
Hence the warning, ‘Be reasonable.’
But most of the times reason is just fear cleverly disguised.
Let’s say everyone has been reasonable:
– Nobody would have sailed across the seas.
– Nobody would have done the impossible.
– Nobody would have been a revolutionary.
Reason is generally an instrument for maintaining the status quo.
Unrealistic conviction, in contrast, is a revolt.
2) The Most Uncomfortable Truth of Psychology: People believe in perception, not reality
Social psychology unveils a startling yet simple truth: People don’t believe in what you really are… They believe in how you show yourself.
Imagine a scenario.
There are two speakers.
The first one: Very knowledgeable but quite insecure.
His statements are unsteady, his voice quiet, he avoids eye contact.
The second one: Fairly knowledgeable but very confident.
His statements are direct, his voice loud, he maintains eye contact.
Who do you think is more convincing?
You probably already have the answer.
Psychology refers to this as the illusion of authority.
The human brain confuses confidence with competence.
So here’s how the world operates:
Confidence = a signal stronger than reality.
This is why some people are perceived as bigger than they actually are.
And some people are living smaller than what they truly deserve.
3) Impostor Syndrome: The Curse of the Intelligent
Brightest minds think most of the time: ‘I’m really not that good.’
Such a thought is termed as Impostor Syndrome.
Top-notch people believe that their success is due to luck.
They keep doubting themselves all the time.
However, the funny thing is that: People who are less competent hardly ever doubt themselves.
And this is precisely the Dunning Kruger effect:
People with little knowledge tend to make a high estimate of their ability.
People with deep knowledge tend to make a low estimate of their ability.
The end result?
Those who really have the world in their hands are not doubting geniuses but confident fools.
It is a hard fact of life that one has to face.
Still, it is a game plan as well.
When you are the only one who questions yourself…
You are at the disadvantage.
4) A Philosophical Provocation: Which is More Dangerous Reality or Illusion?
Recall the allegory of Plato’s cave.
The people thought that the shadows were the real things.
However, today, something is different: People have stopped believing in reality… They now believe in confidence.
Truth no longer prevails in the modern world.
Confidence does.
Just consider:
Who gains more followers on social media?
* The most knowledgeable?
* The deepest thinker?
* Or the one who talks the most convincingly?
The answer is obvious.
It’s because the philosophy of our age is like this:
Truth doesn’t sell.
Claims do.
That’s the reason why the facade of confidence is not only a human feature…
It’s a whole survival tactic.
5) A Sports Illustration: Champions Are Not Realistic
What differentiates a champion athlete from others?
Setting a series of small doable targets?
No.
Champions often have seemingly crazy goals.
Think of a sportsman.
Everybody is telling him: You won’t be able to break that record.
And he replies: I will.
By the data, it’s irrational.
By the statistics, it’s impossible.
By the logic, it’s absurd.
Yet, what does history choose to remember?
Not logic… But belief.
If athletes had kept to being realistic,
no record would have ever been broken.
Being unrealistically confident is the secret fuel of one’s performance.
6) What if the Real Lie Is Humility?
Society gave you these lessons: Be humble.
Don’t praise yourself.
Don’t speak big.
Meanwhile, have you ever thought about this?
What if humility is actually a social control mechanism?
For example, if everyone saw themselves as great:
Who would obey?
Who would stand in line?
Who would know their place?
Humility is definitely one of the main reasons of the order continuation.
But progress…
…
Is not created by humble people.
It is created by those who overestimate themselves.
7) The Anatomy of Unrealistic Confidence
Unrealistic confidence means this:
– Feeling as if you’ve already become what you are not yet.
– Pretending that you already have the power that you still lack.
– Adjusting your mind to a level that you have not yet attained.
Is this insanity?
Yes.
But every major change first appears to be madness.
Steve Jobs once said: People don’t know what they want until we show it to them.
Was it rational?
No.
But the world conformed to his vision.
Because sometimes reality follows confidence.
8) Believing in Yourself Is Not Enough. Exaggerate Yourself.
Classic motivational sayings are not what I am going to tell you:
Believe in yourself.
Find your potential.
Those are too naive.
I will tell you something a bit more risky: Exaggerate yourself.
Because most people don’t have the problem of too much confidence…
But rather, they lack it to a sufficient degree.
If you don’t show yourself as being greater than you really are…
Society will treat you as being less than you actually deserve.
Being realistic means that you will remain too normal.
If you are rational, you will stay right where you are.
However, if you have an excessive amount of confidence…
At first, people will mock you.
Then they will recognize your value.
Then they will start getting inspired by you.
Eventually, you will realize this: The confidence that was considered unrealistic at one point… Has gradually turned into the truth.
. . . . . . .
Maybe you’re considering something like this right now:
Isn’t such a level of confidence reckless?
Yes.
However, there is one thing that is even more dangerous:
Applying self-limitation for your entire life.
Think of this: It is not the realistic people who have shaped the world…
But those who have dared to have an unrealistic level of confidence.
And perhaps the actual question should be: Is possessing an unrealistic level of confidence more dangerous…
Or living the whole life perceiving yourself smaller than you really are?
It’s up to you to decide.