Paul Nervy Notes
“Jokes, poems, stories, and a lot of philosophy, psychology, and sociology.”


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Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  .This section is about confidence.  Topics include:.  ( ) Confidence.  ( ) Self confidence.  ( ) Confidence in the world.  ---  1/24/2006


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  (1) Confidence is related to optimism.  If you have confidence in the future, either confident that the future will be good, or confident that you can handle the bad times, then you are essentially optimistic.  The emotion of confidence is a stronger version of hope.  (2) Confidence is also used to mean degree of belief.  In this sense of the word, you can be confident that you will fail and that the future will be terrible.  Confidence as degree of belief is different from confidence as optimism.  ---  6/15/2004


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  (1) Confidence: "I can handle whatever the situation throws at me."  (2) Confidence as a lack of fear and anxiety.  Confidence as bravery.  They are related.  (3) Appearing confident vs. actually being confident.  ---  4/10/2001


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  (1) High self confidence.  "Fu*k it" attitude.  "What the fu*k" attitude.  "I deserve this" attitude.  "I deserve this more than you" attitude.  (2) Low self confidence.  "I can't do this".  "I don't deserve this" (see also self esteem).  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  (1) People can sense lack of confidence and react negatively to it.  (2) Decisiveness vs. incompetence vs. thinking aloud to others about all sides of the question.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Accurate assessment of self and situation.  Degree of certainty of probabilities.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Act only when confidence is up and you are sure.  That's when you act best.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Bravado, braggadocio vs. wimp.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence and daring (ego and id) vs. modesty and humility (superego).  You need both, at the same time, all the time.  You need to feel them inwardly, and you need to project them outwardly, socially.  ---  06/17/1994


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence to succeed (i.e., to give your best shot) vs. confidence to win (i.e., to beat your opponent).  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence vs. lack of confidence.  Lack of confidence: confusion, uncertainty, hesitation, unsure of situation, unsure of what best to do in situation.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence.  (1) Confidence is knowing what the situation is about.  If you can gain knowledge of a situation ahead of time, you will have more confidence going into it, and will do better in it.  (2) Self-confidence is knowing what you are about.  Knowledge of self.  ---  02/14/1989


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence.  (1) Secure, safe, confident (a feeling).  (A) Know what you are.  (B) Know what opposition is.  (C) Know what situation or terrain is.  (D) Can handle and act on all three.  (2) Insecure: not knowing.  (3) (A) False sense of security: thinking you know, but don't.  (B) False sense of insecurity: thinking you don't know, or can't handle, but actually do and can.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence.  (1) Self confidence.  If and degree you believe you can do, get, or be something.  The chances you give yourself.  (2) Situation confidence (knowledge and ease with situation).  Same for what you think the situation will do for you.  (Ex: I believe I can do a, b and c).  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Confidence.  Your self confidence (odds you perceive in situation, that you give yourself) changes from moment to moment with mood, thoughts etc.  Especially if you are unstable.  Self confidence is very important.  It affects behavior greatly.  You can be under confident or over confident.  See also under estimating or over estimating self and situation.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Know what is reality: what you have to do and take, and not and why.  Know what is justice: what you should do and take and not and why.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Main components of self confidence.  (1) Knowledge: of self, situation, and self in situation.  (2) Bravery.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Optimists are more confident in self and situation.  More self confidence makes you more optimistic.  It is a growth spiral.  (See optimism and pessimism)  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Over-confidence vs. under-confidence.  Over-estimation vs. under-estimation.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Self confidence based on knowledge of self and of situation.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Self confidence even when self and situation are unknown.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Self confidence is confidence in one's abilities.  Confidence is knowledge of situation.  Self confidence is really a form of bravery.  Self confidence is very important.  High self confidence is healthy.  Low self confidence is unhealthy.  Too high is deluded.  Self confidence is a prerequisite to action, a spur to action.  Self confidence is a main defense against anxiety.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Self confidence.  (1) Helpful.  (A) Legitimate: you are up to snuff.  (B) Illegitimate: you are not.  (2) Unhelpful.  (A) Illegitimate.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Self confidence.  (1) I can get what I need, and no one will push me around.  (2) Self confidence, disregard, distance, "fu*k it" attitude.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Self-confidence is closely related to self-esteem.  If your self-confidence is low your self-esteem will be low.  If your self-esteem is low then your self-confidence will be low.  ---  11/20/2001


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  Techniques to raise self confidence to optimal levels.  Recite optimal thought trains.  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  When is self confidence too much or too little?  ---  12/30/1992


Psychology, emotion, specific, confidence.  ---  You need desire, and you need belief.  Belief that it can be done, and belief that you can do it.  ---  01/26/1994




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Paul Nervy Notes. Copyright 1988-2007 by Paul Nervy.