Jumping into the Unknown: What Does It Mean to be Confident?

Photo by RODNAE Productions

“nobody” IS “SOMEBODY”, a children’s book by Dr. Sandra C. Birchfield, is a lovely story about a shy schoolboy joining the local spelling bee and showing everyone he has what it takes to succeed.

A crucial thing that parents need to deal with raising their children is teaching them how to be confident. From when they are born, children are continuously acquiring new skills, from language use to walking, and the best way for them to learn quickly and efficiently is through being confident.

Through confidence, children can trust themselves while performing tasks and be resilient in the event of failure. In this sense, being confident is also a skill children need to learn to be secure in their capabilities and better assess what they can or can’t do.

And like all skills, confidence is learned best through action.

Why Confidence Is Not Always Necessarily Bad

Overconfidence is a real issue in certain people, and that is because too much confidence makes people overestimate their abilities, leading to an increase in risk-taking and the inability to self-scrutinize.

But too little confidence stops people from ever moving forward when faced with setbacks.

Overconfident children can become bullies and may grow up to become narcissists or with an entitled sense of superiority that creates friction in their personal and professional relationships.

Underconfident children, though, may feel unmotivated in activities that involve any amount of effort, and some never feel like improving themselves as they think it is not worth it.

Confidence is simply about how good people feel about themselves. However, too little and too much of it is a problem and makes a maladaptive individual who can’t correctly navigate society.

A good sense of confidence makes for a healthy, well-adjusted individual.

The Psychology of Confidence

Confidence is an individual’s self-perception of their capabilities—how they value themselves and their place in the world.

It’s all about possessing a balanced judgment of oneself, the ability to be aware of and recognize achievements while at the same time knowing that there is always room to grow and improve.

A confident person has a practical sense of what they can or cannot do, and they don’t let those realities affect them. (i.e., if they are confident in their abilities, they do not overextend; otherwise, if not, they do not become discouraged)

Confidence also helps when dealing with fear, which is not usually harmful. Still, too much of it, like too much confidence, leads to problems down the line: aversion to change, risk, and the inability to be considerate of other viewpoints.

Developing self-confidence is a critical step in achieving self-realization for a child.

Children with a healthy dose of confidence have a realized image of themselves and know about the limits and demands of self-respect—they know that people have boundaries and how to assert boundaries themselves.

Confidence Creates Competent Children

Some children are naturally shy and introverted—and that is because they have a negative perception of themselves. The best way to let them come out of their cocoons is to improve their self-confidence, so they are more trusting of themselves and others.

In “nobody” IS “SOMEBODY,” a children’s book by Dr. Sandra C. Birchfield, the protagonist is an introverted kid who learns to trust himself more and grows confident enough to participate in his school’s spelling bee competition.

A child with healthy self-confidence is courageous; they are brave and clever enough to know where their limits lie and willingly work to expand them. A self-confident child is curious and always willing to learn more about things they lack. They are also resilient, always standing up regardless of whatever problem passes by them.

Healthy doses of self-confidence, besides improving self-worth, also make children more likable and approachable.

These children are resourceful and discerning enough to know what to do and what should be done. Self-confident children are competent, knowing when to fold and knowing when never to give up.

When children are confident about themselves, they are motivated to change for the better and are eager to learn from their mistakes. They know how to hold themselves under scrutiny or conflict and know when to ask for help when needed.

So, let your children be confident, and they will face whatever challenges they encounter with courage and enthusiasm!