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Marold Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Confident vs. Self-confident

Confident
Self-confident


"He is a self-confident man."
"He is a confident man."

I know the difference in the second meaning (usage) of a word confident, but I am confused about the difference between these words in such usage. Could you please explain it to me?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

I take self-confidence to be about confidence in one's self, one's own ability to overcome life's obstacles, one's own ability to succeed in whatever one undertakes to do. I take confidence to be more about confidence in external matters, confidence that the world is operating as it should, confidence that problems will be solved and that any unpleasant situations will be satisfactorily resolved, confidence that one's friends will help one when and where necessary — that sort of thing. CJ

— CalifJim

  • I take self-confidence to be about confidence in one's self, one's own ability to overcome life's obstacles, one's own ability to succeed in whatever one undertakes to do.
  • I take confidence to be more about confidence in external matters, confidence that the world is operating as it should, confidence that problems will be solved and that any unpleasant situations will be satisfactorily resolved, confidence that one's friends will help one when and where necessary — that sort of thing.
  • CJ
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2 Answers
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I take self-confidence to be about confidence in one's self, one's own ability to overcome life's obstacles, one's own ability to succeed in whatever one undertakes to do.

I take confidence to be more about confidence in external matters, confidence that the world is operating as it should, confidence that problems will be solved and that any unpleasant situations will be satisfactorily r
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I imagined myself explaining this kind of a very subtle difference between these words and I am sure I wouldn't be able to do that as well as you have just done!

Thanks a lot.
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