Unfortunately, many people often perceive a person who is genuinely confident as arrogant or cocky. While the line between arrogance and confidence is a thin one, there are subtle differences. An arrogant person usually makes himself look good by putting others down. A confident person, however, has a strong belief in his own potential as well as the courage to work at achieving what he wants. Changing the way you view yourself and how you present yourself to others can help you tip the balance from arrogant to confident.
Instructions
1- Acknowledge your qualities. Believing in your capabilities and having confidence in your skills is important for your self-esteem and increasing your confidence. There is nothing arrogant in knowing what you are good at, as long as you respect other people for their attributes too.
2- Make eye contact when you are talking to people. Looking at a person when they are talking to you is a sign of being self-assured; looking away or appearing distracted is not just arrogant, it is also rude. Look at the person's entire face when she is talking; this will avoid you giving the impression you are staring.
3- Understand you are not perfect, and it is normal for people to make mistakes. How you handle yourself when you do something wrong is important. Graciously accepting your error and attempting to rectify it is a sign of a confident person. Never admitting your mistakes, or worse, blaming others, is arrogant and a quick way to make yourself unpopular with others.
4- Try to address what triggers you to feel less confident. If you find it difficult being in large groups of people or in a room of strangers, then you need to address this specifically to improve your confidence. You cannot avoid these situations, so you need to work on solving your problem. Practicing positive self-talk is one way to address a confidence crisis.
5- Show your respect for others and do not be afraid to acknowledge other people's confidence. While it is OK to be sure of yourself and your abilities, this should not be at the expense of other people. Arrogant people usually point out the faults of other people to make themselves look good.
Tips & Warnings
Try not to compare yourself to other people. There will always be someone who has something you want or who can do something better than you. It is pointless comparing yourself to these people, especially as you are only concentrating on their good points without considering their bad.
Pretending to be confident is good in situations when you may feel vulnerable or unsure. Avoid over-acting though, as others will view what you think is confidence as arrogance.