Book Review–Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt

Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Debunks conventional ideas surrounding self-confidence.

Western culture, and particularly the American subculture, emphasizes the value and need for individuals to have a high self-confidence if they are to perform well and achieve success. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, in Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt, argues that high self-confidence is mostly a liability and that a low self-confidence is more positively correlated with successful individuals.

Through research data, discussions of studies, and anecdotes Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic argues forcefully and persuasively that modern society has confused, to its significant detriment, confidence with competence. In the eyes of many people, highly confident people are thought to be competent, but there is no correlation between the two. Yet at the same time we tend to view negatively those who are extremely self-confident and narcissistic. Modern society rewards the highly confident because competition is rarely about competence, but rather, confidence. (E.g., We elect high-confidence individuals to political office and then complain about their incompetence.)

In this book, Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic shows that it's okay to have low self-confidence and that there are many advantages to it. Individuals with lower self-confidence actually are more competent, they make fewer mistakes, they are better judges of themselves and others, and they are more able to learn from their stumbles. The idea that low-confidence is an obstacle to success and achievement has no basis in reality. People without a high view of themselves have just as good an opportunity to achieve success in their careers, in social relationships, and in health as those who do have high self-confidence in these areas.

In the area of careers Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic writes that success is 90% preparation and 10% execution. Low self-confidence individuals, because they tend to worry and are anxious about their competence, excel in preparation. High self-confidence individuals, on the other hand, because they believe in their unfounded competence, fail to prepare.

In the area of social interactions low-confidence individuals worry about how others view them. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic writes that this is a good and positive characteristic. It leads them to be cautious and careful, to be more empathetic. On the other hand high-confidence individuals tend to not care about what others think and thus come off as brash, boorish, arrogant, and narcissistic.

In the area of health low-confidence is also an asset. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic writes that many people think they are healthy when they are actually not. Low-confidence individuals with their worries and anxieties are better able to see signs of unhealthiness than high-confidence individuals who falsely believe in their health. Low-confidence individuals, again, are more cautious and careful and tend to avoid risky behaviors, whereas high-confidence individuals tend toward risky behaviors believing in their unfounded invincibility.

In the final chapter Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic argues for a less-confident world. He believes that such a world would be less corrupt, safer, more peaceful, and a generally better place to live.

I see the chapters of this book divided into three major sections. The first three chapters lay out the thesis and provide the theoretical framework that supports it. The next four chapters apply the thesis to the areas of career, social relationships, dating, and health. The final chapter provides a summary.

I found this book engaging and interesting. It was very thought-provoking in the ways it challenges conventional attitudes toward confidence. This book should be particularly helpful to the many people who do "suffer" from low self-confidence. But it might be even more valuable to those who pride themselves in their self-confidence, if they allow themselves some time for self-examination.

(This review is based on an advance review copy provided through NetGalley by the publisher.)


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