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Have you ever felt superior to others for one reason or another? Well, it turns out you’re not alone. New research shows that most people believe they are better than other people, which is termed illusory superiority. The study almost makes it seem like being sure of yourself is bad… but the truth is, being confident isn’t bad – it’s being too confident that gets you into trouble.
There’s a huge difference between being confident and cocky. Being confident is all about loving yourself for who you are and believing in yourself while still managing to be humble. Being cocky is all about thinking your crap don’t stink… and that’s not cool. We want all of you girls to feel confident and have high self-esteem without being considered full of yourself. Because, let’s face it, cocky people are annoying! Here are 8 lessons on how to be confident without being cocky:
Recognize Your Talents...
...without constantly talking about them. A big part of being confident is knowing what you're good at and owning those things. You should be happy about the things you're amazing at. But that doesn't mean you need to rub your talents in everyone else's face all the time. Be confident in your ability to do certain things and others will see it on their own - they don't always need you to tell them. Source: ShutterStockAccept Compliments...
...by being gracious, not smug. When someone tells you they love your hair color (or whatever), don't say something like, "Really? I hate it!" You also don't need to say something like, "I know, right? I get compliments all the time. Everyone loves my hair." A simple, "Thank you, that's so sweet!" will do. Protesting a compliment isn't humble, it just shows low self-esteem. At the same time, gushing about yourself is just sort of annoying. Accepting compliments graciously shows confidence without cockiness. Source: ShutterStockBe Proud Of Yourself...
...without excessively bragging. This is pretty similar to being able to accept compliments without being arrogant about them. You should absolutely be proud of your accomplishments and a little bragging is totally fine. Sometimes it's great to toot your own horn! But there's no need to constantly brag about all of the great things you've done. All that's going to do is make people roll their eyes, not make them realize how awesome you are. Source: ShutterStockDon't Apologize Too Much...
...but know that you do have to apologize sometimes. Over-apologizing is a trap that a lot of girls fall into, myself included. It's easy to always blurt out, "I'm sorry!" but you should try not to. It displays some serious low self-esteem to look like you always think you've done something wrong. At the same time, keep in mind that you do have to apologize sometimes. Cocky people tend to think they never do anything wrong, so getting a good balance is important. Source: ShutterStockSpeak Your Mind...
...but be open to other opinions. You should of course feel free to tell others what you think and to stick to your own beliefs. Being able to speak your mind shows a lot of confidence and is very admirable. However, when you start shutting everyone else down because you think you're always right, there might be some problems. Be open to other opinions, even if you don't agree with them. Source: ShutterStockExpect Success...
...but don't demand it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with believing in yourself and knowing you can get whatever you want. In fact, having those qualities will make you a more successful person overall. But just because you know you can achieve success doesn't mean you should demand it. That makes you cocky and that will probably backfire really fast. Source: ShutterStockRealize You Have Flaws...
...don't consider yourself to be perfect. Confident people don't think that they're perfect - that's the difference between being confident and cocky. Recognizing and accepting your flaws and learning how to deal with them is confidence. Assuming you're a perfect specimen that never does anything wrong is arrogance. Source: ShutterStockHave Friends Who Support You...
...not friends who yes you to death. It's really important to have friends who love you and support you. It's not good to have friends who always tell you how great you are even when you're not being so great. Sure, it feels nice to have that one friend who is always on your side no matter what, but at the end of the day a true friend is one who will tell you when you're being a jerk. Source: ShutterStockAre you going to follow these tips? Which tips did I miss? Do you think you’re confident already? Do you know any really cocky people? Tell me in the comments!
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