Philosophy
What is it to be confident?
It's easy to fall into a bad way of thinking about our psychological concepts. We tend to think that we can know, through introspection, whether a psychological concept can be properly applied to us. We think that we just know what it feels like to, say, believe something or trust someone and that we simply can't be wrong in claiming to so believe or trust on the basis of these feelings.
"I know when I'm sad!"
"Don't tell me what I believe. I know what I believe!"
"What do you mean I want you to fail? I assure you that's not what I want."
One of the most profound lessons Black Socrates has learned in his days of philosophizing is that this way of thinking is deeply flawed. One can be wrong about whether one is sad or angry or believes that something is the case. One can feel that one believes something-or believes in something-, yet not believe (or, better, that someone believes something is not a matter of how one feels). (And if you want an argument for this claim, check out Wittgenstein on private language).
If believing, trusting and being confident in is not a matter of how one feels, what, then, is it a matter of?
It is a matter of how we've come to use our psychological concepts and which behaviors are taken to be criterion for applying those concepts.
If you say that you believe that Black Socrates didn't cheat on you, but act as if you don't believe (say, by checking my email, constantly calling to find out where Black Socrates is...when he'll be home...who he's with) then, if fact, you do not believe that I didn't cheat, no matter how you feel.
So, back to the opening question: What is it to be confident?
We see now that being confident isn't a matter of feeling confident. Being confident is a matter of acting in a way that would make it appropriate to apply the label "confident" to one.
So, ask yourself, if I saw someone who acted like me would I say that that person was confident? (and include speech, dress, posture, etc, under the label of "acting").
You may discover that you're more (or less) confident than you take yourself to be.
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Philosophy
Confidence
What is it to be confident?
It's easy to fall into a bad way of thinking about our psychological concepts. We tend to think that we can know, through introspection, whether a psychological concept can be properly applied to us. We think that we just know what it feels like to, say, believe something or trust someone and that we simply can't be wrong in claiming to so believe or trust on the basis of these feelings.
"I know when I'm sad!"
"Don't tell me what I believe. I know what I believe!"
"What do you mean I want you to fail? I assure you that's not what I want."
One of the most profound lessons Black Socrates has learned in his days of philosophizing is that this way of thinking is deeply flawed. One can be wrong about whether one is sad or angry or believes that something is the case. One can feel that one believes something-or believes in something-, yet not believe (or, better, that someone believes something is not a matter of how one feels). (And if you want an argument for this claim, check out Wittgenstein on private language).
If believing, trusting and being confident in is not a matter of how one feels, what, then, is it a matter of?
It is a matter of how we've come to use our psychological concepts and which behaviors are taken to be criterion for applying those concepts.
If you say that you believe that Black Socrates didn't cheat on you, but act as if you don't believe (say, by checking my email, constantly calling to find out where Black Socrates is...when he'll be home...who he's with) then, if fact, you do not believe that I didn't cheat, no matter how you feel.
So, back to the opening question: What is it to be confident?
We see now that being confident isn't a matter of feeling confident. Being confident is a matter of acting in a way that would make it appropriate to apply the label "confident" to one.
So, ask yourself, if I saw someone who acted like me would I say that that person was confident? (and include speech, dress, posture, etc, under the label of "acting").
You may discover that you're more (or less) confident than you take yourself to be.
- The Romanticizing Of Outlaws
Today is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid. He was not the serial killer that his legend holds him out to be and, indeed, was not well-known until Pat Garrett, the sheriff that ultimately did him in, wrote...
- Supererogation
Driving home from dropping my in-laws at the airport this morning at 4:00, I was thinking about supererogation, that is, acts that are good, but not necessary, actions that are morally above and beyond the call of duty. TheWife and I recently had a discussion...
- Perfection Is A Point Of View
The Novels 1984, Brave New World, and The Republic of Plato all are considered masterpieces and/or classics in our world. These novels draw the reader in using a new and interesting plot which at the time of publishing made each novel revolutionary in...
- 7. Socrates' Death And Was It Justified...
How did Socrates die? Do you think his death was justified? Explain your answer Socrate's road to death started when the Oracle at Delphi stated no one was wiser than Socrates. Socrates felt the oracle was wrong and just a paradox. He questioned...
- Deceased--arfa Karim Randhawa
Arfa Karim Randhawa1995-2012The youngest mentioned here. Physics at its worst."Arfa Karim Randhawa, 1995-2012: Hear her philosophy of life"by Todd BishopJanuary 14th, 2012Geek WireArfa Karim Randhawa, the computer programming prodigy who became the world’s...