Certainty vs Confidence

Our society celebrates assured individuals. We praise them because they seem like they know what they are doing in a world where no one really does. We use words like: “Certain” and “Confident” but these words have completely different meanings. Both the certain and the confident individual are assured but in different ways.

The certain individual deludes himself and others. He thinks he knows the answers and fails to ask the right questions. The certain individual is obsessed with being right, and will not admit when he is wrong. Because he fails to ask the right questions, he never comes any closer to the truth.

The confident individual is curious about himself and others. He knows he has no answers and asks lots of questions. The confident individual does not worry about judgment from others or from himself. He explores his interests because that's what he wants to do, so why should he care what anyone else thinks? Because the confident individual asks lots of questions, he is always coming a little bit closer to the truth. If there is anything the confident individual is certain of, it is that he knows nothing.

Cultivate confidence by forging your own path. Let uncertainty be your north star.