What the difference between having a high level of self-confidence and being con

1. 82

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   What the difference between having a high level of self-confidence and being conceited?
   
   

   replyreport
2. 93

   Gabriel Wilsonposted 11 years ago

   I think confidence is a good thing, and having a lot of confidence certainly helps towards achieving things as a very confident person won't worry about failure. A very confident person can usually make others confident and give sound advice, especially in the work place. Confident people are good motivators in a general sense because they tend to be very optimistic and successful. The true confident person is generally a popular and fun person to be around.
   A conceited person is different in the sense that they are more worried about themselves as an individual and their own personal gain. Vainity is at the helem of a conceited person and they are arrogant rather than confident. Showing off rather than achieving. Conceited people tend to be self obsessed; always talking about themselves.
   In a nut shell confident people normally have an essence about them and draw people.They are out going and popular; successful and optimistic.
   Conceited people tend to have a haughtiness about them and repel people. They are vain and excessivey proud; self absorbed and down right boring.

   replyreport
   1. 37

      ChristinSposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      while I do agree about the optimism and success aspects, I would argue that there are introverts who are also confident in themselves, they just aren't outgoing or overtly social creatures

      replyreport
3. 45

   DDEposted 11 years ago

   A high level of confidence is great for any individual gives a reason to get up each day and achieve your goals with ease, conceited is someone  with a different character. Most proud and thinks very high of himself the kind who feels all is splendid always without the knowledge of caring of another

   replyreport
4. 72

   mathiraposted 11 years ago

   'I can do it', this is high level confidence. 'Only i can do it' is downright conceit.

   replyreport
   1. 82

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Totally succinct and to the point!

      replyreport
5. 37

   ChristinSposted 11 years ago

   Most people who are confident are not boastful about it - you can see their confidence in their actions, but they don't feel a need to brag.  Those who brag or exaggerate are the ones I would see as being conceited. The types that have to always be sure to tell you just how great they are - in case you haven't noticed enough lately . Conceited people also seem to love to talk about one subject only - themselves.
   
   Some people don't know the difference though between confidence and arrogance/conceit. I've been accused of arrogance before simply for acknowledging a compliment about being intelligent.  Someone said something to the effect of "you really know your stuff" and I said, yes thank you, I believe knowledge is power or something to that effect and got a retort of "arrogant much?" - Really? For acknowledging I have a brain and enjoy using it? geez. lol. 
   
   One thing I have noticed, and of course it's not everyone, but I sometimes think women are considered arrogant or conceited more than men for simply acknowledging their confidence.  It's like it's more socially acceptable for men to display it or something without being considered conceited.  Fortunately, I mostly keep company with both men and women who can tolerate the fact that I can be a confident person and not shrink back .

   replyreport
   1. 82

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer, totally agree with you. There seems to be a double standard of the genders regarding self-confidence.Men w/ a high level of self-confidence tend to be praised while their female counterparts tend to be denigrated & called the b&

      replyreport
6. 58

   New Understandingposted 11 years ago

   Conceited to me is someone that is somewhat narcissistic and egocentric, believing they are better and elevated above others and puts people off. Where self-confidence is an inner knowing you can do whatever the task and allows inclusion of others. People are drawn to self confident people, no one is drawn to the conceited but they themselves.

   replyreport
7. 91

   Jlbowdenposted 11 years ago

   Having a high level of confidence, is definitely a good thing and can literally go hand in hand, with having a high level of enthusiasm. In turn this in itself can be very contagious, in the way that it can only encourage individuals.
   
   Particularly people you have close interactions with. Such as co-employees. On the other hand, if you are somewhat conceited and it obviously shows, from what I like to refer as..."Loving Yourself", or basically bragging too much about how good, or how confident you are, that you are an authority, or basic know it all in the field.
   
   Then this can be a quick turn-off to others that you have relationships with already. You can lose friends quickly, if you are somewhat conceited. Whereas I believe people are attracted to individuals who are very confident and have an overall great demeanor.
   
   This is what I have learned along the way, because I have a friend like this, who sometimes you have to walk away from...can be very irritating, to say the least, when you are a know-it-all!

   replyreport
8. 47

   Ericdierkerposted 11 years ago

   Wonderful, Wonderful Wonderful question. You should have a level of conceit for asking it!!
   Fun huh? Pride is spoken and written of as bad. And yet Pride is demanded by us parents from our children. So cool. "Be confident in all you do, and with your wife second guess" A "good" Christian will tell you pride is a sin. A "smart" Christian will tell you if you are not proud of what you do, do not do it.
   Conceit is amazing. In high school dating we used it a lot. Then I found out that the conceited girls were the most insecure. And in that I found many good girls who were friends. Because I was insecure also and we could talk.
   Conceit is a mechanism for those who are hiding something else. It is not of the ego as so many think. It is a total facade. It is a force field. Watch a child play by herself. Wow. Her imaginary friends will be good and bad. She will associate with the good (assuming things are good) and be conceited in her victory over bad. She will learn conceit all by herself.
   Think this strange way: Conceit helps us through the grieving process. When we are ready to crumble into a small ball; conceit comes and lifts us into something better than the rest. "head up girl, act mature".
   But conceit is not of us. It is of others. Conquering our imaginary playmates.
   Self confidence is not self esteem. It comes from hard work. It come from the drudgery of doing it over and over and over again in pain and in the rain. It is earned through sweat, blood and tears. It Semper Fidelis. Hoorah!
   I live in what is the largest military town in the world. (well outside of it) Us old folks own our homes. Those young folks own our souls. They are spit polished and straight backed. They call me sir. They are self confident and I am confident in them.
   They are not all smart and who I want my daughter to marry. But they serve me and my country. And we are self confident in them.
   Oh yes. The major difference Between our soldiers who are confident and me who is conceited is hard work and earning it. By the Bible it is known as false pride what I have. And Great pride in our youth.

   replyreport
   1. 70

      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There is pride and there is pride. It is not the word, but the energy behind it that makes the difference.

      replyreport
9. 70

   Emanate Presenceposted 11 years ago

   There is a story of a man who was given an award for Humility. The Humility ribbon was ceremoniously handed to him in front of his peers. But later it had to be taken from him --  because he wore the ribbon on his jacket!
   
   Conceit is as others have said, a pride of confidence that demands attention and recognition. Such need for attention only comes from ego.
   
   Whereas confidence in its core is quiet strength. It is egoless. It is complete in itself and needs no recognition. It is not threatened by the success of others and can celebrate their victories and joys as if they were their own. It never feels less of itself, however it may be attacked or accused. Because it is self-complete.
   
   It can be a knowing without knowing how one knows. Confidence of this type can be brought out in various ways, such as through choosing to trust beyond what one sees, to trust what one feels and knows, to trust in who and what one is.
   
   A person's outward behavior may be extrovert or introvert, but real confidence runs beneath the outer appearance like a river.
   
   Real confidence (distinguished from bravado or a mask to hide insecurity) sometimes flows from a person's inner being, from stillness. I have experienced this a few times, in situations where my personality was overtaken by confidence that was bigger than me. I would not boast of it because it was nothing based in my personality, where boasting is done.
   
   It is useful to inquire into and understand such things as 'When does confidence becomes conceit and what is behind each?', for personal evolution.

   replyreport
10. 0

    Michelle Widmannposted 11 years ago

    To me, confidence is a positive trait. It's not getting down on yourself and having the ability to give yourself the pep talks to get through the things you find difficult to do. Confidence is also knowing you're good at something and not being afraid to say you're good at it.
    
    To cross the line into being conceited, you would have to tell everyone you're good at the task and allow that thought to make you feel as though you're better than others. A confident person may give someone else a chance and help them to be just as good as you are, or be humble about his/her skills. A conceited person would be narcissistic and hog all of the attention - bragging to everyone about their knowledge and skill.

    replyreport
11. 77

    jlparkposted 11 years ago

    Humility.
    
    You can be highly self-confident, but humble. If you are highly self-confident and in my face about how wonderful you are - you are conceited.
    
    Some of the most confident people I know, have the most humility - they know they are awesome, but they don't need to tell everyone!

    replyreport
12. 0

    Sri Tposted 11 years ago

    Confidence means you believe in yourself. You are fearless and you can handle any situation that arises. A conceited person believes everything revolves around them. They think only of themselves. Their favorite words are "I" and "me". They talk almost exclusively about themselves. They are obsessed with their looks or their abilities.

    replyreport
    1. 70

       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Have you heard the definition of faith as being Divine self-confidence?
       
       How do you feel about it?

       replyreport
13. 74

    lone77starposted 11 years ago

    The difference between simple self-confidence and conceit is ego.
    
    The conceited person can have high self-confidence, but ego makes it conceit.
    
    Ego is selfishness. Ego is "look at me." Ego is vulnerable and needy. Ego is separateness. Ego is the false, mortal self -- the mask drawn over the true self's spiritual eyes.
    
    Confidence with humility is entirely different from the conceit. You can have perfect confidence and utter humility. These two traits (confidence and humility) are the foundation of every hero.
    
    In every victim, there is a perpetrator who hungers to lash out. Within every perpetrator is a victim who hurts. This is part of the dichotomy which is ego. This is at the crux of conceit. In fact, it is the crux of everything which is evil.
    
    When someone becomes utterly selfless -- entirely generous without thought of benefit -- they are heroic and admired. Even if they do their good deeds anonymously, they are heroic and admirable.

    replyreport