Confidence and Consciousness

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by MK2_, Apr 25, 2015.

  1. MK2_ Registered Member

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    Assertive confidence is raised up as a strength in all walks of life, self consciousness a weakness and it's begging a question from me. Why? I think it'll serve the open minded well to take a step back and look at the crevasse between the two and the slope the general population consistently seeks to ascend from a different perspective.

    Confidence is viewed as attractive, powerful, successful, inspiring, a trait of leadership, etc.

    Self consciousness is seen as ashamed, weak, struggling, awkward, etc.

    Courage is born of fear, not of surety and I believe courage to be something we all should aspire to experience. I believe a person can take a number of lessons from standing up against your fear, to try to stand if load bearing and cantilevered. To take resolve after all the confidence in the world has failed and the self consciousness, doubt, fear, and realization kick in.

    To be confidently courageous to me is an oxymoron.

    Assertive over confidence to me is blindness, ignorance, akin to stupidity. It's as if to ignore variables and appear to, or truly go in guns blazing and I wonder how that can inspire goodness, or develop good leadership? To stand behind yourself so confidently is bias, bias is the opposite of weighing out options, hence ignorance. Yet it's celebrated in literally every walk of life.

    I have seen self confident hacks, as I am a construction worker it's everywhere. People who flex and flash their credentials to get it done their way, no matter how wrong, or how many corners they're willing to cut, they puke ego and argue to the ends of the earth and absolutely refuse to see it another way. They refuse to be open to learn as they're confident in their ability and established. I'm not saying to second guess your every move, I believe experience and things learned are like a muscle memory, I believe if you're going to do something take some conviction in it, but don't let prior confidence hold you back from the lesson you stand to learn. If you're self conscious you stand to gain so much more than if you look arrogantly at a situation.

    I believe a true leader walks at the back of the group and consciously observes, only piping in or taking a stand when they feel it's absolutely necessary, letting a group grow into a community. I believe the truly smart don't see themselves as smart at all, an empty glass.

    A favorite quote: "I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." - Galileo
     
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  3. wellwisher Banned Banned

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    Self consciousness implies one's consciousness becomes distributed between two centers of activity. For example, say you hurt your foot, so there is an urge to limp to avoid worse injury. However, you want to play in the game, so the coach can't see this or he will bench you. To pull this off, one has remain aware of the goal of no limping in front of the coach, while also being aware of the unconscious/natural urge to limp due to pain. One's mind is distributed between a conscious goal and the unconscious trying to avoid further injury.

    Lack of self consciousness, makes one less conscious of the unconscious self, with the mind more focused and not distributed between here and there. An example, may be the student, who is not even aware he is limping, but is ready to play. He may look like a hero, but the coach sits him on the bench with a smile. Lack of self consciousness creates a better surface image, while self conscious teaches us more, but at the short term expense of a surface shell, because distributed consciousness has less bandwidth for the surface image.

    As another example, one may be self conscious of dancing, because one is aware they are not good at dancing. This distribution can lower surface bandwidth to create inhibition. The person with no self consciousness, may not even be aware they can't dance, either, but will act like they are the best dancer on the dance floor. The observer can see this lack of connection to reality but may admire his care free attitude.

    The self conscious person, to come to a focus, may decide to take dance lessons, so the distribution of conscious and unconscious can meet. In the end, there is self confidence, but based on a union of inside and out and a reality connection.

    The actor can play the role of the doctor because they are not self conscious of their lack of real skills. If one is not an actor, they may become distributed to the needs of being a real doctor and the words of the script that pretend this. They may see the need to study the role, more, so the two centers, can meet deeper that just words.
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2015
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  5. danshawen Valued Senior Member

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  7. danshawen Valued Senior Member

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    BTW, I am as ignorant as they come, but at least I am not a willfully self-deluded narcissist. I hope you have learned something, because I haven't.

    “Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” --Mark Twain
     
  8. danshawen Valued Senior Member

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    On re-reading your first post, I realize the mistake in understanding was mine, and that this derived most likely from over- confidence on my part. Did you notice how that could be a bad thing, or did you not find it annoying?

    Somehow politicians get away with such overconfidence faux-pas all the time. You can only do this if you are perpetually ignorant of your own ignorance.

    Strive to model the confident but neurotic behavior of someone like Woody Allen or Bobcat Goldthwait. Their comedy works best because we don't expect even comedic performers to be so insecure. The fact that they have mastered this technique and used it to their advantage is testimony to their comedic mastery. It's more becoming, or at least, less annoying. Be proud of your own ignorance, the way everyone else seems to be. Embrace the power of the not-too-bright side.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2015
  9. danshawen Valued Senior Member

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    And May the 4th be with.
     
  10. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    Self can be a virtue. Just be proper or be perfect.

    Think about that.
     

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