For instance, some parents scold their children and deprive them of the right to express themselves. You will hear a parent telling the child, “Who are you to talk to me?” When the child is trying to defend himself in terms of a misunderstanding. Such a child might grow and lack the courage to speak up.
In some families, being bold to address an issue in the midst of elders is considered disrespectful; in fact, to even look someone elderly in the face when talking to them is not encouraged.
I grew up in such an environment, and the thing became normal to me. Being bold enough to talk without shivering and looking someone right in the face is something that I am still battling with.
I remember the last time I went for an interview, it was not that I did not have what to say, but seeing that the board was full of the elderly, my confidence failed me.
My voice was breaking, my body was shaking, and I couldn't maintain eye contact for a long time. It was after a while that I managed to put myself together and do the needful.
Confidence is like a trait; it is not automatic. Wherever you see it, you know that it didn't just happen by chance.
A lot of things can affect it, like upbringing, environment, practice, and so on.
So, if you ask if people can be confident doing something new, I would say “yes.” Some people already have boldness inherent in them. They grew up in it.
Their hearts are built in such a way that they can confront anything without fear, whether they have once experienced it or not. Their primary concern is not being the best at it, but to do it.
So whether they know it or not, they will attempt it with courage, even if a part of them is scared, they would attack it like it was something they already know.
A friend once told me that he went for a job interview, he applied for a driver's post, and he had never driven a car before. When he was asked questions, he just used the little experience he had from gaming to answer as if he had been in the field for a long time.
According to him, he was looking at the man directly in the eyes while they interacted, and he was not wavering.
Finally, they asked him to enter a car to drive. When he got in, he switched the ignition, but didn't drive; instead, he told the man that he was not familiar with manual cars. The man looked at him and told him that he loves his sincerity and boldness.
Not every confidence needs experience; sometimes, we just need to suppress fear and do what we are scared to do. We need to keep that fear aside and do it as if we have been there for a long time.
The thing is, confidence is not necessary about knowing or not, even though having little knowledge gives us some measure of advantage, but I reckon that lack of confidence is mostly a fear issue.
Some people can have the knowledge yet still dread and fumble when they are confronted with the real thing. Fear can take away all that you know within split seconds.
Having knowledge gives us more confidence and stamina, but fear must be eliminated; otherwise, all our labor might go in vain when it is time to prove ourselves. So, it is not about having experience or not, it is about one's ability to dispel fear of the unknown in the moment.
N.B: All Images Were Generated By Gemini AI
