This Wednesday at the Ideas Cafe, we will be discussing the difference between confidence and arrogance.
Are they the same thing?
The immediate reaction may be that this is just a matter of degree. Too much confidence becomes arrogance.
But how is that dividing line set and along what axis?
Bob suggested that this may be just a difference in perspective of how one sees oneself versus others. Being self assured maybe a sign of confidence to the person but may appear arrogant to others. What is more, the same reason for self confidence may be judge arrogance when it is used on others.
Goes along with Bob's "I erred, but you sinned" way of describing how we judge ourselves much more positively and leniently than we judge others.
Then there is hindsight.
If someone proceed with confidence and completes the task successfully, then he was obviously confident in what he intended to do. But if he failed, he can easily be looked upon as being arrogant and underestimated what was required to perform the task.
All other factors such as luck and other contributing factors can well be overlooked in this judgment.
Maybe arrogance is not just the level of confidence but also the social interaction with the surrounding people. Not taking the effort to communicate with all concerned about the endeavor being undertaken, the preparation being done, the anticipated difficulties, etc.
In other words, is the arrogance judgment bestowed by people who feel they should be consulted or involved but were not? Who were not able to see the reason for the confidence being displayed?
When should someone who judges others to be arrogant be judged arrogant for their part in judging others?
So confidence is knowing from experience what is not required, more so than what is required.
Arrogance is making a bad decision on what is not required because one is not actually an expert in this area.
How do we know we have sufficient knowledge to be expert in one area and be confident?
Experience for sure, but also wisdom in knowing what is required.
Arrogance is the trap we fall into if we think we know what is required but we actually don't.So it comes back to the conundrum, how do we know what we don't know? For without knowing what we don't know, we cannot knowingly avoid the trap of arrogance.
Arrogance implies some sort of standard whereby all participants can be judged equally. A common perception could be that a person was "overly" confident and failed, so that person is then deemed arrogant. In this way arrogance is a lack of prior knowledge. But this type of arrogance implies a type of person working under certain types of conditions. Then perhaps a standard rule of perception or judgement could be more easily given to make the person arrogant or "overly" confident.
ReplyDeleteThe perceptions of others matters when individuals take risks that involve others. But if the other people involved due not participate or only participate in hindering ways to the other person then how much responsibility does the individual have to the perceiving group...
Often persons who don`t fit the standard requirements are considered ``marginalized` , not having the same options and circumstances that most people hold. But how is this person to know that they are not able to join others because they are so judged by them, and if this is so, what are they to do....
Drop out of society and become criminals....
Yikes!
A more plausible alternative is to give people chances. Mostly there is an agreement of quality vs quantity, but its difficult to judge what quality of life is, through a filtered and standard lens. Better to let people decide that for them selves and to live their lives to their own drum beats. If they seem out of whack but are happy and they aren`t hurting anyone else then I say let them be them self and be content.
But that ``type` of mentality requires a view of humanity and nature that most people don`t like. It leaves nature uncontrolled, undefined and can seem chaotic.
Yet people know global warming is happening and they don`t want to hear it. It seems that the common perception would prefer to be happy that its warmer during the winter (some days) then to really look at the facts. That would require a social movement and change that goes against our capitalist money making world.
So who`s to judge and who sets the standard....
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Seems like arrogance is too!
And, I`ve fallen into a trap of some sort too.
Have fun at the talk
VTS