The difference between self confidence and Cockiness

It is true. There is a great difference between the confident and the cocky. Confident people are wise. They will not boast about their achievements. But cocky people, though self-confident, always praise themselves, with some kind of arrogance. There are many such people around us, declaring aloud that they are the 'Mr. Perfect'.

Very true, as soon as a person begins boasting, he gives himself out. In the process of self parsing he utters something which invariably shows his true colors.

I guess a little cockiness is seen in all youngsters because they are still very naive and beginning to learn things ...They become super confident and boastful when they get some success.It is good for their ego but it must not become a habit that carries forward into their adult and mature years..

Personally speaking, I always told my juniors (in marketing department) to refrain from self boasting and listen to others carefully before opening their mouth. Lots of knowledge comes simply by listening to others. Besides one gets and presents his own point better if he is attentive and not self centered.

suni51 wrote:

Personally speaking, I always told my juniors (in marketing department) to refrain from self boasting and listen to others carefully before opening their mouth. Lots of knowledge comes simply by listening to others. Besides one gets and presents his own point better if he is attentive and not self centered.

That is very true ! I have a student who comes from a rich pampered background and is boastful expecting teachers and others to make much of him ... I have been trying to tone him down but the parents make matters worse ...He is an intelligent student and this one weakness in him can make him unpopular ..

A self confident person always accommodates other persons views A person of cockiness  is arrogant. There is no place in him for others views. He is a bulldozer.

RAMAKRISHNAN. A wrote:

It is true. There is a great difference between the confident and the cocky. Confident people are wise. They will not boast about their achievements. But cocky people, though self-confident, always praise themselves, with some kind of arrogance. There are many such people around us, declaring aloud that they are the 'Mr. Perfect'.

These so called Mr Perfects get completely ruffled the moment someone points out some mistake or speaks against their views,never have the grace to accept their faults, which is a sure sign of lack of self confidence .If you are confident of yourself, you also realise that you can never be Mr Perfect and there is always scope for learning and bettering yourself ..

Confident people are always ready to  learn. For them learning is a lifelong process. They know it sttarts from cradle and ends only in the grave yard. These people are blessed with the great quality of Humility..

@Usha

I see an antit

@Usha

Interestingly there is an antithetical relationship between these two. When selfconfidence is at its nadir it gives way to cockiness. It nothing but a self-deceiving exercise to cover up one's confidence deficit!

Exactly. Cockiness is a self deceiving exercise. The line is very thin between self confidence and cockiness.. Cockiness is more about self praising. sing their own praises at every work or social opportunity.

Self confidence and humility both make a successful personality. Oneneeds to present himself well but he should not boast unnecessarily. 

chinmoymukherjee wrote:

@Usha

Interestingly there is an antithetical relationship between these two. When selfconfidence is at its nadir it gives way to cockiness. It nothing but a self-deceiving exercise to cover up one's confidence deficit!

 

I agree ...From what I have experienced most of these bragards have some inferiority complex somewhere deep within them and like you said they carry on in a self deceiving exercise.

Additionally fear of failure makes these people cover their weaknesses.

" Bragging comes from a lack of self-confidence and a desire for external approval. Conversely, genuine modesty is a characteristic of someone who is secure with who they are. People who brag are calling attention to themselves because they don’t feel worthy of respect. It’s like wearing a sign that says “please notice me and tell me that I am special?

The braggart is not the high-spirited bon vivant that he imagines himself/herself to be.In contrast to a lively conversationalist ,the braggart speaks in all directions at once, soon making contradictory statements.The typical braggart has no authority on any topic, nor is he/she believed by anyone. Whether he/she realizes it or not, no one takes him/her seriously. "

This is how psycho analysts have sketched the personality traits of a braggart !

A self assured man is a good listener. He allows others to air their views. Whereas  braggart makes his way. by bulldozing. He is dogmatic. He thinks by not  allowing others he has scored over them. A sadistic pleasure he indulges in.

Most braggarts find the need to say things about themselves in flowery language, they like to talk about themselves and their achievements at the smallest opportunity..We see many such people, all around us making noise all the time .