Difference between Confidence and Overconfidence

Key Difference: Confidence is described as the state of being sure of one’s abilities. Overconfidence is the overestimation of one’s abilities or the ability of a particular object.

The words confidence and overconfidence are common words that are heard and play a huge part in our behavior and nature. The words are not clearly defined with many people describing them in many different ways. There is a fine line between confidence and overconfidence, and many people cross it on a daily basis. It is essential to understand where the boundary lies.

Confidence is described as the state of being sure of one’s abilities. A person is certain that a hypothesis or a prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. There are different types of confidence: Confidence in an object, confidence in someone else and self-confidence. Confidence in an object suggests that the person knows the limitations of something’s capabilities and known what that thing can and cannot do. Confidence in someone is having faith and trust one someone’s abilities and nature. Self-confidence is trusting and having faith in one’s own abilities. A confident person must understand himself in order to be confident, he must be sure of his own abilities and understand his own limitations.

Overconfidence is the overestimation of one’s abilities or the ability of a particular object. An example of this would be a person stating “I’m confident this car will take me across the country.” This results in overconfidence if the car has been continuously breaking down or removing work. Mostly overconfidence is associated with one’s self, where someone believes that they are always right, or incapable of being wrong. “If he can walk across the rope, so can I.” A statement such as this may be considered as a overconfidence statement. Overconfidence often results in trying to make one self seem better than others. Often the person is unable to live up to the promises he/she makes. According to Nofsinger, "People are overconfident. Psychologists have determined that overconfidence causes people to overestimate their knowledge, underestimate risks, and exaggerate their ability to control events.”

Comparison between Confidence and Overconfidence:

	Confidence	Overconfidence
Definition	Confidence is described as the state of being sure of one’s abilities	Overconfidence is the overestimation of one’s abilities or the ability of a particular object
10 traits according to Hindustan Times	Really confident people do not try to prove anything to anyone. They do not seek attention from others. They exude a natural magnetism and charisma which attracts people towards them. They exhibit joy and happiness at all times. They are naturally radiant. They are often very quiet and understated. However, they are not afraid to speak the truth. They express themselves freely when the situation demands. They are always authentic in their expression. People love interacting with confident people because they, too, feel confident in their company.	Overconfident people are usually loud and noisy. They speak loudly and forcefully to prove their point. They always seek validation from outside. Even after receiving the approval from others, they experience emptiness inside them. They do not feel fully satisfied with life and usually remain unhappy. People display overconfidence because they do not feel good about themselves. They display bravado to compensate for feelings of inferiority. They like to make fun of others. They cannot, however, take a joke about themselves in the right spirit. Others can sense the self doubt that lurks behind the over-confident persona.
Example	“I can do that”	“Only I can do that”