Anthony Pan 12 - Confidence is Key
We all love being able to feel confident in our abilities, but is there actually any benefit of being confident?
I’m sure a lot of us have heard that phrase, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there” and simply just brushed it off, but it has a surprising amount of merit to it. According to an article by Trine University, there was a strong correlation between athletic performance and self-confidence, as self-confidence generally facilitated concentration and ushered in more effort. On the other hand, lack of confidence was linked to anxiety and doubts, clouding judgement and causing hesitation in intense moments.
One of the most famous moments that demonstrated the impact that confidence could have was during the New England Patriots’ famous comeback win in Super Bowl LI. Down 28-3 in the third quarter, there was a clip that has since become viral where Tom Brady essentially tells his team that they haven’t lost the game yet and that if they all played their hearts out, they could win. They went on to win that game in overtime, marking the greatest Super Bowl comeback in history and cementing Tom Brady’s legacy. Although it’s impossible to be certain, the comeback can certainly be at least partially attributed to the confidence Brady instilled into his teammates, as in situations that seem as futile as that, it can be easy for people to simply give up, believing that winning was impossible.
Confidence can serve as an invaluable tool in competition but when it crosses the line and reaches into the territory of overconfidence, it can be devastating. Kobe Bryant was famous for his relatively selfish play, often opting to shoot the ball rather than pass it to his teammates due to his confidence in his ability. However, this confidence came back to bite him in the 2000 NBA finals in game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. During that game shot way below his normal averages, yet still continued to shoot the ball rather than passing, playing a major role in their loss in game 5.
Confidence is key, but there is always too much of a good thing.
Hi Anthony, as a performer and participant in many competitions, I share many of the same ideals as you in terms of the power of confidence. Confidence is extremely necessary whenever I step up for a dance performance because as long as you are confident in what you are doing, the audience won't suspect what the reality is. Even in my Science Olympiad competitions, if I walk into a test confident in my ability to score well, I will inherently remember more information and actually medal. Similarly, in my FTC competitions, being confident in front of the judges displays your surety in your work and automatically makes the judges also believe you. However, as you mentioned, overconfidence is not a good thing. Some members of my FTC team are overconfident in their abilities which leads to a negative impact on the team dynamic.
ReplyDeleteHi Anthony! After reading your blog, it reminded me of the lectures and motivational pep talks my coach would usually give before a tournament. He always told us, "Don't feel unconfident. Be confident, but never arrogant." His words have always stuck to me, and during my matches, I have definitely felt their impact. The examples you gave also resonated with me, as whenever I psych myself out before a game, making myself believe that the opponent's skills are much higher than mine, I find myself to feel much more nervous and doubtful of my ability, just as what the research reported. During a match, if I am leading by many points, I sometimes find myself unintentionally slowing down the pace, relaxing my mindset and allowing the opponent to turn the tables, to which I would eventually lose the game. Whenever I allow myself to perform "normally," my athletic performance usually peaks, allowing me to have a competitive match that I am satisfied with. Reading your blog made me reflect on how important it is to have the right mindset and just enough confidence during tournaments. It is definitely a tough balance to find and maintain, but your blog is a great reminder that these various aspects, which may seem unnecessary, play a huge role in success. I look forward to reading your future blogs!
ReplyDeleteHey Antony, I really enjoyed reading your blog post! The way you view confidence and its effects in both positive and negative ways was really engaging, I liked how you used real word examples like Tom Brady's Super Bowl comeback and Kobe Bryant's overconfidence to showcase both sides of the spectrum. I myself right before any competition or like a badminton match where I'm losing I try to keep up my confidence and try my best to avoid overconfidence to keep myself trying more and not giving up. Your point of our confidence influencing perception was very interesting, how believing in yourself can make others believe in you as well it gives everyone else confidence around you basically. This was a very well structured and thoughtful provoking blog, and I loved how you balanced the discussion without making it one-sided.
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