There is a very thin line separating confidence from its irritating counterpart, cockiness. People that are confident believe in themselves and their talents, which makes them work towards success. On the other hand, people that view themselves as superior to others are considered cocky. These two perceptions are commonly confused – especially when someone’s confidence becomes arrogance.

Most people know at least one person that views his or herself as superior to others. People like this will constantly brag about something they did just to make themselves feel better. Eventually, they become too irritating to be around and become disliked.

“I do not like it when people are too cocky. [They] can be confident, but when it gets to a point where it is just too much, it looks like that person is too conceited and I just can not stand it,” sophomore Jasmin Valencia said.

On the other hand, it is great for a person to have confidence in a class after having worked, studied and practiced in order to earn confidence in a subject. With that confidence, a student can feel like he or she can pass a difficult exam or maybe even ace it. Another scenario where confidence can be someone’s greatest asset is before a big sporting event. Athletes that are confident are not afraid to point out their weaknesses and can then start to improve themselves. Athletes that are too cocky and believe that further practice is unnecessary, however, would never improve their weaknesses, which ultimately would hinder them from winning.

“Being confident helps a ton because it makes me feel good about myself – especially during a swim meet since my confidence makes me perform better and allows me to always try to outdo myself,” sophomore Sigurd Ozols said. 

It is great to have confidence since it gives people an extra spring in their step without getting to their heads. Because of the ease of crossing over from being confident to cocky, it is important for people to monitor their actions in front of others.