There is no doubt that self-confidence is great, at home, work, school and society but when it’s too much, it loses its value. Confidence comes from assessing, validating and having faith in ourselves. Confident people don’t try to prove anything to anyone, while overconfidence breeds arrogance. Some people hide in overconfidence just to mask their inferiority. In her book ‘The Portable Therapist’, Susanna McMahon highlights that self-confidence is a way of being in a world that allows you to know yourself and to take care of yourself. Self-esteem is knowing that you’re creditable to others respect and friendship, accepting yourself fully, both your strengths and weaknesses, while overconfidence questions someone’s worth. Being around overconfident people can be nerve-racking, they assume that they are always right and knowledgeable—a thing that pushes them to talk often and at the top of their voices, they do so to seek validation from others. They want to be celebrated, accepted, appreciated and noticed, which isn’t the case with confident people. Confident people don’t try to prove anything to anyone, while overconfidence breeds arrogance. Net photos. Excessive self-confidence can cause a number of problems in an individual’s personal, social, and professional life, missed opportunities, such as not taking on projects because they seem too easy or beneath your abilities, taking on too much, such as saying yes to projects that you lack the skills to complete, according to Very Well mind. Barbra Kantengwa, a teacher and a parent in Gisozi states that when you have self-esteem that is too high, you may turn out to be overconfident and misjudge your aptitudes, traits, and expertise. “I have been able to rub shoulders with overconfident people; they try so hard to be noticed even when it’s not necessary, and believe that they have to talk whenever they wish, leaving other people silent when they have something to say,” she says. She also adds that some people are actually struggling with low self-esteem due to their personal insecurities, and in the long run, they hide under overconfidence to be judged or seen differently. The danger about this is that you live a life of lies and pretense. Kantengwa adds that when you grab an opportunity or reach a milestone but deep down are not happy about the achievement, until people applaud you, it’s a sign of self-dissatisfaction and a trait of many overconfident people. She points out that too confident people are unhappy as they are not content since they seek more confirmation, praises, and compliments. They can do what it takes to prove their worth even when it takes putting others down. Such people easily notice mistakes in others and judge them as being unserious, careless or unethical. They do so to make you believe they are serious about work or projects, or other areas, as they want to seem knowledgeable and skilled, Kantengwa adds. You can observe an overconfident person by the way they receive compliments, even a simple praise, they can magnify it to seem much treasured or loved. Herbert Mutabazi, an IT expert in Kanombe is of the view that overconfidence results in pride, this is because such people hate asking for help even when they don’t know something as they think it is a sign weakness. They suppose that they can rely on their understanding. He stresses that overly confident employees do not believe that they can be wrong. So, when they make mistakes, they don’t want to be corrected or see their mistakes. Mutabazi adds that you can overcome overconfidence by confronting people about their problems, and letting them know how their behavior affects other people. He emphasizes avoiding over pleasing too confident people as this somehow boosts their egos, but where necessary, ignore their conduct. Kantengwa adds that it is important to let over confident people know that they are not perfect and it is normal and makes them unique. She highlights that such people need to be told their limits, know when to talk and not to, and respect other people even when they are more informed than them. She further says that although confidence is a great virtue for success, having it in excess can be challenging as it can succumb to deadly behavior if not prevented.
