8 Comments
User's avatar
Robert Cruze's avatar

If you want to improve your temper, you have to accept that you're going to get hammered along the way.

Expand full comment
Charles Fout's avatar

It's not hubris when you can back it up.

Expand full comment
Yet Another Joe's avatar

Like with many things, there's good confidence, and there's stupid confidence.

Good confidence is honestly aware of limitations (as Det. Callahan noted), learns from mistakes, seeks out criticism, and sees the flaws even in successes.

Stupid confidence isn't any of those. Stupid confidence ignores limitations, makes excuses, dismisses critics, and doesn't consider that luck over skill is sometimes a thing.

There are jails full of the latter.

Expand full comment
Dale Flowers's avatar

I remember when inculcating "self-esteem" into young hellions was all the rage by social workers. As if they didn't already have a toxic mega-dose of it. Misplaced self-confidence can be a real killer.

Expand full comment
Kamas716's avatar

Is there a story behind #5 that you've already posted?

Expand full comment
Tiffanie Gray's avatar

Man of Steel and Velvet is a great book about manly values, in my opinion.

Expand full comment
Frank's avatar

There's one more ingredient to confidence, understanding that it's more important to do the right thing than it is to live forever and acting like you know it.

Expand full comment
Heresolong's avatar

You ever read Meditations on Violence by Rory Miller? Sounds like you have similar philosophies.

Expand full comment