Confidence is a quality many people struggle to fully understand early on in life. If you don’t truly know how to come off as confident, you may come off as arrogant, rude, conceited, etc.
The best way to demonstrate confidence is to remain emotionally secure and allow other people to contribute to the conversation equally.
Here are 5 ways you can stop coming off as arrogant, while remaining confident.
1. Listen While Others Are Talking
If you’re looking to come off as arrogant, being the only voice in the room is a fast way to accomplish that.
Many young people make this mistake in their journey to confidence. They think that having the quickest or most assertive response will gain respect, but this couldn’t be further form the truth.
The most effective way to display confidence is to listen while others have something to say. This displays emotional security and it shows the other people in the room that you’re not afraid of someone else stealing your thunder.
Not to mention, if you don’t listen to the input of others and then your decision ends up resulting in failure… you’re going to look foolish.
2. Remain Calm
We all know that person that babbles on-and-on when they have something important to say. They might be so excited to tell you what they have to say that they’ll even forget to breathe between their sentences.
The most efficient way to communicate is to slow down and elaborate at a natural pace. When you slow your words down, people have the chance to actually process what you’re saying rather than try to piece together a summary of the information you just bombarded them with all at once.
Talking people’s heads off might also result in people thinking you like to hear yourself talk. Once people feel that way about you, they’ll stop listening all together.
3. Respect Everyone
If you make the mistake of putting people down to make yourself look good, you can kiss your positive image good-bye.
Any community of people, whether it be from the work environment, household, school setting, etc., comes together to discuss the negatives. If you’re putting people down, they’re going to talk negatively about you when you’re not in the room to reclaim some of their pride. Everyone that was a part of the conversation will now have their guards raised against you.
When people have their guards up, they won’t trust you, or anything you have to say.
4. Admit Your Faults
Confident people know when they’re wrong, and they’re not afraid to admit it.
If you’re in conversation and someone corrects you, the best response is to say “Oh you’re absolutely right, can you explain this topic in greater detail?”
By calling on someone else to explain information you don’t have, you’re still in full control of the conversation and will remain the most confident person in the room.
On the other hand, if you argue with the person that is more knowledgeable just because you refuse to stand corrected, you’re going to lose respect from everyone in the room.
5. Don't Compete With Anyone
In any social setting, the competitive person will always be the first one humbled. People don’t want to listen to someone that is only determined to be correct.
The only focus you should have in conversation is to pursue the best outcome for everyone, and to be mindful of how you deliver your opinions. The person that is speaking for the best interest of everyone will be favorited every time.
If someone else corrects you or just offers a difference in opinion, listen to them and take into consideration what they have said. If you can, build off of their opinion until you’ve reached a solution or agreement.
