How To Tell If Someone Is Arrogant vs Confident

Did you know that there is a good pride and a bad pride? Arrogance is of course associated with bad pride. In this article you will learn 7 ways to identify people who are arrogant vs confident, why people are arrogant, and how you can avoid falling into the arrogance trap.

Arrogant Vs Confident, Why Is It Important to Know the Difference?

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Arrogance and confidence can appear similar in a person, as they are both related to pride. Now, pride can be either good or bad. Indeed, pride is good when it adds value to both the individual and for those around them. On the other hand, pride that is bad neither helps the individual or others.

In fact when pride is bad, a person is arrogant. Whereas when pride is good, a person feels confident. Indeed, arrogance is characterized by us having an exaggerated sense of our importance or abilities. Also, it is an emotion that rubs people the wrong way. Indeed, in the long-run it is self-defeating.

Confidence on the other hand is a positive characteristic. Indeed, it is a feeling of self-assurance that comes from an appreciation of our abilities or qualities. So by understanding the difference between arrogant vs confident, we learn how to stifle arrogance and encourage confidence.

7 Ways To Tell the Difference Between Arrogant Vs Confident

At first glance, it can be challenging to distinguish between a person who is arrogant vs confident. While both arrogant and confident individuals exude self-assurance, arrogance often masks hidden insecurities. In contrast, genuinely confident people possess a sense of self-assurance. Over time, this distinction becomes more apparent to others. Moreover, self-confident individuals tend to exhibit more agreeable personality traits. Here are seven characteristics that can help you determine if a person is arrogant vs confident:

1. On Giving Advice.

• Arrogant: They tell people what to do or correct them.
• Confident: They offer advice when asked.

2.Talking About Themselves.

• Arrogant: Brags, They do not give others a chance to talk, nor give credit to others.
• Confident: They ask others to celebrate with them when something good happens. Further, they do not assume what’s happening is the most important thing to everyone as well.

3. Talking About Others.

• Arrogant: They gossip and say negative things about other people. Further, they are reluctant to celebrate someone else’s good news.
• Confident: They speak kindly about other people. Moreover, they rejoice in others’ success. In fact, they are happy to congratulate them.

4.Intimate Relationships (friends, family, romance).

• Arrogant: It is all about them. Surprisingly, acting like a victim (poor me) can be arrogant as well.
• Confident: They are generous. Further, they are willing to work together to resolve problems. Additionally, they strive to be self-reliant in difficult situations, without blaming anyone else for their difficulties.

5. Workplace.

• Arrogant. The office is like a battlefield. Indeed, they always need to win. Moreover, they will claim all the credit.
• Confident. They do their best. Moreover, they are happy to give credit, and gracious when credit is given to them.

6. Social Venues.

• Arrogant: They want the spotlight. However, people are attracted to them at first, then turned off.
• Confident: They are with friends to have fun. Further, they think about whether the other people are enjoying themselves. Lastly, they know it’s not all about them.

7. Communication.

• Arrogant: They want to tell their own story, but are not as interested in what someone else has to say.
• Confident: They are equally interested in listening to others as they are in sharing their own news.

For more advice on how to determine if someone is arrogant vs confident, see Dr. Tina Tessina’s posting,  Are You Confident Or Arrogant?. Also, see Power of Positivity’s Psychology Explains the Difference Between Self-Confidence and Arrogance for more advice.

So, Why Are People Arrogant?

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Positively, arrogance is an expedient way to attempt to achieve social status. In fact, all of us have this very human condition to feel we matter. Indeed, all of us desire to be valued within our community. Yet, the trouble with arrogance is that it is short-lived. Further, arrogance does not add value. Eventually, an arrogant person will be found out leading to disfavor instead of an increase in social status. Specifically, there are three types of arrogance:

• Individual Arrogance. Inflated sense of personal value
• Comparative Arrogance. Inflated sense of value compared to others
• Antagonistic Arrogance. Sense of superiority which devalues others

What Can You Do To Avoid the Arrogance Trap?

For some great tips on how to avoid being arrogant, see Forbes’ article, “Confidence Without Arrogance: Why You Should Stop Trying To Be The Smartest Person In The Room—6 Tips To Avoid The Arrogance Trap“. Here are those tips:

• Focus on Ideas, Not Yourself.
• Respect Others’ Points of View.
• Listen and Seek Understanding.
• Invite Different Opinions.
• Share Ideas Early. Specifically, put ideas forward when they aren’t fully baked so participants have the chance to provide input and influence the end-game.
• Cooperate. None of us know everything. Additionally, forcing ideas on people is not the answer.

Also on how to better achieve confidence, see Unvarnished Facts’ article, How to be More Confident – Tips and the Best Way to Achieve It.

How To Be More Confident – Tips And The Best Way To Achieve It

For more information from Unvarnished Facts on values, click here.