The True Meaning of Confidence

 

You might be interested to learn that the word “confidence” was used to mean confidence in others before it was used to describe an individual’s attitude toward themselves. In the early 1400s, to have “confidence” was to believe someone else was capable or trustworthy. It wasn’t until the 1550s, during the Renaissance, that a reliance on one’s own powers became a meaning of “confident.” Today, we understand that personal confidence is extremely important, but that it also must be justified to be useful and healthy. Here are some basics about confidence in three of life’s key areas and how to grow it in each.