When Does Confidence Become Arrogance?

–By Andrew W. Scott, CMA (AAMA), CPT (NASM)

There is something to be said for humility, but I’m not entirely sure what that something is.

I’ve heard phrases like “nice guys finish last” and “good things come to those who wait” used in the same conversation, even though they rather blatantly contradict each other. Champion Mentality, at least as it is often espoused by those who claim to possess it, seems to leave very little room for humility in the mix.

I am often accused of arrogance, and I think that may be a fair assessment at times. But I am always searching for the line between arrogance and confidence. One thing I know for certain is that I have very little interest in having less self-confidence at this point in my life because it took me far too long to develop the level of self-respect and self-love that I enjoy today.

I also know that walking confidently into situations has been one of the most useful tools I have ever carried. I have never attended a job interview in my life without being offered the position, and I suspect that part of the reason is that interviewers can sense their offer is not the center of my universe. I know my worth as an employee, and I know that any employer would be fortunate to have me on their team.

Does that make me arrogant if those beliefs are grounded in real abilities and a proven track record?

Worry only makes a situation worse, but cautious due diligence remains a worthy principle to practice. I do not run headlong into situations with unrealistic expectations or fantasies of extraordinary outcomes. At the same time, there is very little value in looking around every corner for problems that may never materialize. Doing so makes it nearly impossible to focus on the task directly in front of me.

When it comes to health and fitness, I find confidence most useful when dealing with the tale of the tape and the scale. If you are consistently practicing sound principles of health and fitness, it does not matter what the scale says on a random Wednesday morning.

I remind myself of a simple mantra:

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PRACTICE GOOD HABITS AND REAP BAD RESULTS.

Now, that doesn’t mean the results arrive on our preferred timeline. It doesn’t mean the journey will be linear. It simply means that healthy actions tend to produce healthy outcomes if we remain patient long enough to let them work.

Just like the job interview, if I allow fear to creep in because my expectations have not yet been met, I start to flail. I begin making drastic changes out of panic rather than intelligent design. Those changes can easily undermine healthy progress when the desired result was right around the corner and I was simply too impatient to allow it to develop.

So where does confidence become arrogance? I think the answer lies in the approach.

Arrogance suggests that because you are skilled at something, you are somehow better than other people.

Confidence simply acknowledges your abilities.

Arrogance tells you that you have arrived and have nothing left to learn.

Confidence reminds you that, for today, you are performing at your best while recognizing that tomorrow may require you to become even better.

The arrogant person believes the race is over.

The confident person knows the work continues.

Keep working. Someone out there is watching, learning, and coming up hot on your tail.

—Drew, The Weapon