In any endeavor whether it's for career, relationships, hobbies or more, a balance exists. A dichotomy between acting on confidence while having the foresight of humility in order to face a glaring reality. You don't know everything. There's a delicate process involved in maintaining this balance. Especially since both elements can sometimes be seen as polar opposites. But truthfully they're not.

‍

Confidence is typically defined as this feeling of trust within oneself, a self-assurance that their abilities are sufficient enough in whatever contextual circumstance the word applies to. This helps build forward momentum, it allows for someone to accomplish the task at hand with the probability of failure low enough to justify their efforts. However, if this confidence goes unchecked then at a certain point a shift can be felt towards something damaging. An abundance of confidence is the border of arrogance; the belief that one's significance, knowledge, or abilities are greater than they actually are. A dangerous mindset to hold as ideas presented by others will most certainly fall on deaf ears and this presents the inability to learn. As we know, the inability to learn is the blockade of growth.

‍

On the other end we have humility. The ability for someone to look into themselves and realize the limitations they possess towards what's in front of them. This is crucial in maintaining a realistic perspective towards future goals and aspirations. It helps to understand what challenges can be taken on in the present and which ones to save for a later date. This is not the same as being unconfident, in fact humility and confidence go hand in hand. Of course, as mentioned above, there are extremes to this. Too much humility and you fall into a form of incapableness, not realizing the strength you have to overcome the possible challenges. This creates the same threat as arrogance as too much humility will also build up a wall that stops one from learning, leading to the inability of growth.

‍

There is no right or wrong in how to go about this. Truth be told, there are special circumstances where the abundance of either confidence or humility can be useful. It comes down to the person and the variables that make up who they are. The threshold to failure and even success play an important role. Being easily influenced by success can create feelings of arrogance while being easily influenced by failure can increase low self-esteem. It all ties back to how a person is the way they are. In any case, a balance must be found. Through the lessons of the past, the factors of the present and the anxieties of the future, one can understand how to find equilibrium in confidence and humility.