How To Avoid Embarrassing Yourself
There’s a surefire way to avoid embarrassing yourself: Have Confidence AND Skill. You need both.
Sometimes people tell me things like, “If you just believe in yourself enough, you can accomplish anything!”
While I strongly believe in the importance of positive thinking, that’s really only half of the story.
Confidence isn’t enough.
Turns out, that despite the shortcuts we think social media and a can do attitude offer, we still need skill.
Case in point, the sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial.
Here he is standing next to Obama.
Doesn’t he look confident?
He’s standing next to the leader of the free world, signing a message that millions of people around the world will see.
So brave, so bold, so courageous.
Unfortunately, there’s only one problem. He’s faking it.
Reports came out the day after that he had made it all up. Sigh language experts said he was just waving his arms around. Turns out he was high on confidence and low on talent. (Doesn’t this seem like something George Constanza from Seinfeld would do? The sea was angry that day my friends.)
I hope you are confident in your abilities, but more than that, I hope you take the time to get some.
Confidence without skills makes you look like an idiot.
Chad Pfeifer 