Confidence is imagined control.
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Notes
“Confidence is the feeling we get when we imagine that we have control over the outcome.” In sports, everyone is confident, but most end up losing.
The alternative is to “embrace imposter syndrome,” to trust the process, to work generously and intentionally, and to accept every outcome (including the bad).
“The imposter is proof that we’re innovating, leading, and creating.”
Thoughts
In my thoughts on the previous chapter, I was surprised that Seth didn’t present “trust your self” as an antidote to imposter syndrome. In this chapter, he suggests that we trust the process, but he doesn’t mention trust in the self.
That’s interesting in two senses: first, he wants us to embrace imposter syndrome—it’s not something that, as I was thinking, needs an antidote; and, second, I would not have guessed that trusting oneself is so opposed to the notion of confidence.
Confidence, at least as Seth defines it here, is the misguided notion that success or failure is under one’s control. Trust in one’s self focuses on generosity and intention.
As with many of Seth’s notions, I’m going to need some time to wrap my head around this. I don’t think I’d have defined confidence quite the same way; I think I’d have talked more along the lines of confidence in one’s abilities (to persevere, for example). But I do see how even that easily slips into the “if I persevere, I will win” camp—and the winning is something we don’t have control over.
Above all, if I don’t need to have confidence—if, indeed, confidence is dangerous—then I guess I can see that imposter syndrome isn’t necessarily as bad as I’d thought. I’m not sure I go as far as Seth, at least not yet: his argument is that the imposter syndrome is evidence of generosity, intention, innovation, creation.
But I can see how that’s a useful story…
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.