The Quiet Influence of Confidence...

Two qualities of human interaction lurk within as we go about our lives. As quiet as it remains, quietly rooted in self-awareness, it is confidence. On the other hand, insecurity screams its lack through overcompensating mechanisms coupled with anxieties that seek validation. It's one of the subtlest distinctions that each one of us goes through at various points in our journey.

In today's edition of The Journey from Human Being to Being Human, we explore a quiet, yet powerful truth that resonates with all of us—Confidence is Silent, Insecurities are Loud. Whether it’s in our personal lives or professional spaces, we’ve all felt the difference.

The calm presence of confidence doesn’t need to announce itself, while insecurity often pushes us to speak louder, act faster, or seek approval. Join us as we reflect on how these two forces shape our interactions and how embracing silent confidence can lead us toward growth and self-assurance.

Think of that one person who walks into a room and never needs to proclaim his presence; yet, you still feel it. He never talks about his accomplishments nor seeks praise, but you see steady poise, ease with silence, and listening more than talking. That is silent confidence, my friends do not seek to draw attention because they know its worth. Insecurity often masks its nervousness with noise. It will define things ad nauseam, ask for approbation, or make efforts to prove itself to others.

Each one of us has been put into situations where insecurity dominated and made us talk louder than necessary or look for validation even for matters so shallow. Insecurity needs attention and approval because it doesn't believe in itself.

Let's take the workplace. We all must know such a friend or colleague who is silently outstanding in his/her work, who is producing consistent results day after day without reminding everybody of such efforts. Their confidence lies in the work itself. Then there is the person who, although he or she is good at work, is talking about their successes all the time, seeking compliments, and hurt when someone else achieves something. The latter aren't perhaps less talented but insecurity pushes them to compensate for the self-doubt they carry inside.

Confidence is predominantly built through experience, reflection, and growth. It springs from the knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses, accepting failures that fall into the process. Insecurity, on the other hand, becomes a problem whenever we feel uncertain, compare ourselves with others, or don't seem enough. Nobody is born into the world one day confident and the next insecure.

These qualities over time develop from our experiences and how we choose to perceive them. Insecurities are normal human characteristics, but realizing them and fighting through them is part of our development. The more quiet we are about needing someone else's validation, the more confident we become in our self-worth.

Today as we read through let us take time to think about your silent strengths. Where have you allowed confidence to quietly guide your actions, and where have insecurities spoken louder than needed?

True confidence does not need to shout; it speaks volumes in its silence.

Keep Thriving Vishwanathan Ramchandran (V! Ram)