One of the cardinal rules of success is to have faith in oneself. Indeed, it is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that you cannot succeed, if you do not have belief in yourself and your abilities. The more common situations that one comes across are of people who lack the confidence, or the drive or the ability to propel them to the shores of success. But as always, too much of a good thing is not good either. So there are also quiet a few instances of people who are so full of themselves, that they are blinded by their own conceit and they inevitably stumble on their faces.
It is the fine divide between confidence and over-confidence that is being referred to. Healthy confidence is essential in whatever we do. But brashness and cockiness is just a step away from arrogance, and it is such hubris which is the precursor to an imminent downfall. It calls for a lot of maturity to keep such hubris in check. Indeed, the truth is that even if one has talent, or is gifted, one needs to constantly work on one's talent to keep improving. And what is most important is to take criticism in one's stride and keep improving with each outing. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for some of those who meet with early success in their vocation to believe that they have arrived. That is why such talent soon fizzles out.
What has contributed to the spread of such an attitude is the success and big salaries that come easily to younger people these days. And with their wallets filled - and their brains proportionately swollen - it is not easy for these youngsters to keep in touch with sobriety. let alone listen to critical evaluation. Mind you, people do not have to be successful to fall into this trap of conceit.
There are several students who have got entrance into prestigious academies of learning, or into the hallowed cadres of the Central Government Services, who acquired on elitist mindset and thinking that they are no longer ordinary mortals.
A person had a serious problem of obesity, conquered it with a closely monitored regimen of rigorous exercise and dieting. He was now filled with contempt for anyone with a weight problem. He considered himself superior to them since he had got on top of his fears. He believed that the rest were sissies without any will power!
There can be no doubt that such attitudes warp personalities and lend a false sense of reality to their victims. The more one achieves, the more there is to achieve. And there is always scope for improvement. But such progress is possible if we listen to our loved ones who are our best intentioned critics. And not pull the blinds down over our heads.
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