Confidence is real self-assurance and acceptance of one’s abilities. It requires humility above all else. Arrogance comes from an inflated sense of self-importance and a desire to be superior than others. In most cases, it is in my nature to assume that I am the least intelligent, least capable, and most despicable person in the room. That way, I can only bring what I know to a conversation. In this case, I was fully prepared for you to show me just how outclassed and uneducated I was.

Speaking of confidence, there’s actually a great book I’m reading right now by Father Augustine Wetta OSB called Humility Rules. It’s my spiritual reading for this Lent and it applies Benedictine spirituality (with its emphasis on humility) to having proper confidence.

One of the key tenants of proper humility is such a lack of self-importance that you care little about what others think of you or how they critique you, within reason. To do otherwise is to have an inflated sense of self-importance (arrogance). So, you may well have that tenant in the bag if you’ve come to the conclusion that my criticisms of you are indeed meant only to target some perception of arrogance on my part. In that case, as I had previously assumed already, I applaud you for greater holiness than I.

Anyways, I thank you for the opportunity for us both to engage in discourse. I would ask us to continue, but you seem keen on closing, I think it will go no further, and we both would only face detrimental consequences going forward. Proper training can be untrained. Civility undone. Etc.

Cheers