Sure, if you know you have to do something and you don’t know how to do it, somehow you just have to get going. You’re so right that this is a bit of a chicken and egg situation, I’m just not sure that faking it is a good strategy for learning or growing confidence.

@Monika – Buzz is pretty darn groovy, isn’t he?. I like your honesty and agree that faking confidence doesn’t make you feel confident. Watch that ‘holding back’ thing though. Sure, you can’t be good at everything but you never know unless you’re willing to explore it. That’s what Buzz would do

BTW, hope you’re starting to feel better, and if not be sure to take more time.

@James – Thanks James. I certainly recognise that therapists and psychologists have used this idea for longer than I’ve been alive and I’m sure there are good reasons for that. Those guys would probably tut and shake their heads, but there’s still something that doesn’t sit well with me. It’s the whole idea about ‘taking on a persona‘ that bothers me, when the focus of what I do is making people entirely and powerfully themselves.

Where I think it’s useful is in being able to ‘try on’ different viewpoints and perspectives so that you find one that works better, but then take that piece of learning and go right back to being you. Then it’s worth its weight in gold.

Put in the way you explain it, yes, it is. But put in the context of taking on a persona to teach yourself that you can, in fact, do what you wanted, can be a very therapeutic action.

Many psychologists and therapists use this means to break through to their clients and highly suggest it (I believe). What think you?

That post was great wasn’t it? Buzz is such a groovy guy, always happy. I am a confident woman, but if I am not familiar with something I rather hold back. The least I want to do is fake confidence when I’m not feeling it. I’m a bad cheat anyway so people would see through me in a second.

I also don’t have any problems with admitting my short comings. I can’t be good in anything I do.