Louisa Lopez
Have you ever wondered if you or someone you know has high self-confidence?
Often we can tell how people feel about themselves by the things that they say in everyday conversations.
The 7 different phrases below are indicators that someone might be pretty confident in themselves. Notice how they all start with the word ‘I’.
When a person uses the word ‘I’ to start a sentence they are immediately taking responsibility for whatever it is they are about to say. Giving off that air of self-assurance.
1) “I’m proud of”
I don’t know about you but when I was growing up it was a bit embarrassing when someone said they were proud of something. Where I grew up it was even considered a bit arrogant.
But really when people use the term “I’m proud of” they are acknowledging self achievements. So if you’re brave enough to stand up and say what you’re proud of even when you know some people will look at you funny, you have to have a high level of self-confidence.
Using the phrase in another way such as “I’m proud of you” also shows that this person is full of confidence, as they assume that you value their compliments.
Either way, it’s used, it takes some guts to get up and say that you’re proud of anything.
2) “I deserve”
Whenever you hear someone say they deserve something what do you think about them?
“I worked hard, so I deserve this pay raise” or “I deserve to be treated with respect”. When we say phrases such as these we are vocalizing that we are worthy.
Notice how you feel when you say that you deserve something. When I use this phrase, wow, I feel empowered. I feel worthy, I feel confident. I feel like I’m not settling for less.
When people use this term they’re explaining that they would like what they have earned and also are saying they know what they bring to the table. They’re confident in who they are and what they should have or would like because of it.
3) “I’m open to trying new things”
New things can be scary.
How many times have you wanted to try something new but have been put off because it seemed too overwhelming or you thought you might look stupid in front of others?
You need to have a lot of vulnerability to go out and try something new, so whenever anyone says to me that they’re open to trying something new, my respect for them increases. I think that they must be confident to be so open about this in front of me.
When I try something new, I’d prefer no one was there to watch. And I’d much rather do it quietly at home before sharing this new thing with the world. How about you? But, if I have to, I’ll accidentally show a bit of nervousness by saying “I’ve never done this before” or “It’s my first time”, sharing that perhaps I’m not that confident.
People who have high self-confidence, however, will just get stuck in.
4) “I am thankful for”
If this phrase is thrown around casually, what does it make you think of the person using it?
I think of a happy, content, person who seems in control of their feelings.
When I learned to become thankful for the little things, I felt a confidence in myself that I had never known before.
As a child, I had low self-confidence, but slowly as I grew up things changed. I worked with different people who helped me to love myself and my life. When I finally realized that to be happy I had to appreciate what I had right now, my self-confidence began to grow hugely.
Learning to be thankful for the little things made me feel good. It made me feel happy and not be looking for the next best thing. This way of thinking has absolutely changed the way I feel about myself and my life, and whenever I feel down or at a loss I just turn the tables on my thinking.
When I was doing long distance with my boyfriend I’d get upset because I missed him. So I’d change the way I was thinking, instead of thinking “I’m really sad that he’s so far away and I won’t get to see him for 3 weeks.” I’d think, “I’m so grateful that I have someone that I miss so much.”
It changed my perspective and I could go about my day with confidence. And people noticed and commented on how well I coped with it all.
5) “I appreciate your perspective, but I see things differently”
This is a respectful but straight phrase that acknowledges the other person’s perspective, but also shows that the person speaking is confident in their ideas.
Once a phrase like this is used, however, the person using it has to be prepared to share what they see differently and why.
Someone who doesn’t show confidence would likely keep their ideas or perspectives to themselves because they wouldn’t be sure they wanted to share them just in case there was a flaw or they didn’t have enough evidence to back up what they wanted to say.
6) “I focus on strengths and work to improve weaknesses”
First off with this phrase the person is saying I know I have strengths. They are confident in the things that they are good at. But they are also showing vulnerability by expressing that they also have weaknesses that need to be worked on.
Someone with low self-confidence would likely not admit that they had any strengths and only weaknesses.
Someone who speaks in this way is showing a growth mindset in which they want to become the best version of themselves possible. Someone with low self-confidence would never push themselves in this way, just in case they fail.
7) “I accept full responsibility”
Not many people find it easy to say this phrase. Mostly because with it comes some sort of consequence. You’ve messed up, now you need to fix it.
I don’t know about you but when I was younger if I messed up I’d do anything to hide it or get out of whatever it was. Especially if it was with my mom. But as I grew up I realized that when I met people who tried to do this, I lost respect for them.
So, here I am now trying to own up to all my mistakes and take responsibility. As it turns out, you get in less trouble if you own up to something, and usually, people are nice about it.
People respect you if you put your hand up and say that you accidentally messed up and you’re sorry and can you have a hand fixing it. They respect you because it’s hard to do.
When I hear someone saying this, I think, “Good on them. They must be a super confident person”.
I think we tend to think this because anything could come from it. You’re opening up, showing your weaknesses and you have no idea what the consequences will be, but you’re ready to take whatever comes at you from this situation. That’s high self-confidence.
