Yeah, what is confidence?
Describe it please.
Describe it please.
What is confidence?
- Thread starter (((Satori)))
- Start date
I'd like to but I'm not sure I am smart enough or interesting enough to. Are you sure you want to hear from me? Did I make a mistake posting this? Don't get mad, I'll take it back, just ignore me please.
I feel confidence is something that ARRIVES because you're doing things right....
...if you go looking for it, what you find is false confidence.
False confidence can mesmerize your opponent sometimes..
....but you can't bullshit the game itself.
Some of the most confident players I knew were suckers.
The scariest man to play is one who knows that fear is his friend.....
....he can hear the warning bells.
...if you go looking for it, what you find is false confidence.
False confidence can mesmerize your opponent sometimes..
....but you can't bullshit the game itself.
Some of the most confident players I knew were suckers.
The scariest man to play is one who knows that fear is his friend.....
....he can hear the warning bells.
an interesting question
An interesting question. Obviously any of us could go take a look in a dictionary but when it comes to competition there is no untangling confidence from ego.
Confidence doesn't always come from past experience, it can come from success, failure oddly enough, or just plain being too knot headed to think you can't do something. People accomplish the "impossible" when they never lose confidence or sight of the goal.
When I first started competing with men in several fields in my mid-teens, almost all were stronger, more experienced, and had more money. I realized then that it took a lot of ego to think I could beat several dozen or more men in an event, being better than all of them at that given moment in time.
Took a few months to convince myself that ego, which I had always been taught was bad, was a good thing. Once I did many things became possible. Most things I have done in life were done just because I decided to do them. No training or particular aptitude, just seemed like a good idea at the time and ego said I could do it.
For me, confidence is ego or comes from ego. Confidence is belief in self.
Hu
An interesting question. Obviously any of us could go take a look in a dictionary but when it comes to competition there is no untangling confidence from ego.
Confidence doesn't always come from past experience, it can come from success, failure oddly enough, or just plain being too knot headed to think you can't do something. People accomplish the "impossible" when they never lose confidence or sight of the goal.
When I first started competing with men in several fields in my mid-teens, almost all were stronger, more experienced, and had more money. I realized then that it took a lot of ego to think I could beat several dozen or more men in an event, being better than all of them at that given moment in time.
Took a few months to convince myself that ego, which I had always been taught was bad, was a good thing. Once I did many things became possible. Most things I have done in life were done just because I decided to do them. No training or particular aptitude, just seemed like a good idea at the time and ego said I could do it.
For me, confidence is ego or comes from ego. Confidence is belief in self.
Hu
Thanks, I too think it is a very interesting question that could be lots of things to different people.
Here is another question.
Can a person legitimately be confident on a shot that they are suppose to make 50% of the time?
I have my opinion that I have stated in another thread but I'm not saying that it is right for sure and I want to get other view points.
Of course the answer depends on what confidence is to an individual though.
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I too think that they are directly related in some way.
But a total absence or lack of fear can be a foolish thing & hence would make confidence foolish.
I think we need to include motivation into the discussion.
Fear of failure might motivate one to be confident because one realises that a lack of confidence can result in failure.
It's a rather complex relationship as we are not simple 'machines'.
Best 2 You & All,
Rick
Confidence is the abundance of - and the result of self-trust and self belief.
You cannot be confident if you do not trust that what you are doing will get the job done.
You cannot be confident if you do not believe that you have the ability to get the job done.
People that are confident (with or about anything) don't question it or even think about "what if" ... they simply "perform" and simply "do". Confidence allows them to "flow" through the process.
A person with a lack of confidence will hit a lot of "mental speed bumps" before during and after the process.
JMO.
You cannot be confident if you do not trust that what you are doing will get the job done.
You cannot be confident if you do not believe that you have the ability to get the job done.
People that are confident (with or about anything) don't question it or even think about "what if" ... they simply "perform" and simply "do". Confidence allows them to "flow" through the process.
A person with a lack of confidence will hit a lot of "mental speed bumps" before during and after the process.
JMO.
Performing on a subconscious level is were confidence is born.
A person can do anything with confidence....IMO, well that and a little TOI (Toasted Outta Imagination)
A person can do anything with confidence....IMO, well that and a little TOI (Toasted Outta Imagination)
I like David's(Blackjack) description of confidence. A lot of good answers here but the trust in our ability is an excellent way to describe confidence. With trust comes belief.
As to your follow-up question, I can have absolute confidence in almost any shot at the moment regardless of the long term percentage of time I figure to make it. I occasionally stun somebody playing one pocket when taking a seemingly high risk shot that would be a major sell out to miss. When they comment my response is "it was dead". That was genuinely my level of confidence in the shot, at the moment.
Hu
When it comes to pool I use the word alot. When I'm shooting well I walk up to the table feeling like I can run out. When I'm not shooting well I basically walk up to every shot timid, over think the shot and am hesitant to try anything the least bit risky. The mental aspect is probably one of the weakest spots in my game as I tend to get down on myself fast.
I agree with the highlighted area for sure. I think it is possible to shoot with confidence even if you know there is a chance you will miss it. Once you make up your mind to shoot that shot it is time to focus on making it. If you drift off into what happens if... your confidence is replaced by fear and fear or thoughts that cause fear have 0 place in your mind during the shot imo. Shooting every shot with confidence is the goal. Its not always going to happen but I think it is possible as long as you feel that you have a chance to make it.
BTW- Ultimately I believe what confidence is is a feeling of peace when you feel like I got this.
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Confidence compared to Self-Confidence in the Game of Pool
Remember, there's a difference between confidence (full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing:) and self-confidence. The one pertaining best to pool is most likely self-confidence.
Self-confidence is the confidence in one's self and one's own abilities.
Remember, there's a difference between confidence (full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing:) and self-confidence. The one pertaining best to pool is most likely self-confidence.
Self-confidence is the confidence in one's self and one's own abilities.
confidence is wearing your hair like that???
I guess confidence is being willing to wear your hair like that???
Jaden
I guess confidence is being willing to wear your hair like that???
Jaden
My thoughts on confidence.
Confidence quite simply is believing in yourself.
This isn't a simple, oh I believe in myself. It is an inherent knowledge that you can do what you want to do when you NEED to do it.
I used to have it when I was younger and I have been recently building it back.
When you're younger though it comes more from a naivete than from a true understanding.
This past weekend when I was playing Mika for the first money position in the swannee, I had it at the beginning of the match, but then certain things conspired for me to lose it a bit and tense up.
I've had to work at it pretty hard to really get it and I get closer to keeping it every time I get that experience against the legends of the game.
Hearing people talk about me, or who come up to me after the match and say how they love my game or ask me how I do certain things also contributes to it.
People talk about paying your dues and getting the experience and I think that it's all of these things that add up to EARNING that confidence that allows you to play with fearlessness.
I think that many younger players that compete great and then seem to fall off later on don't really have that true EARNED confidence, instead they had been relying on that false naivete inspired confidence and it works against them as they grow in the game.
I'll say that I often got frustrated that I would be able to do things on the table that even great players couldn't and then wouldn't be able to do those things in competition. Or like many people, you do those great things and then turn around and flub an easy shot.
Then when I heard that Oscar was starting the Mezz West State Tour, I thought this is it. I'm either going to get the experience and work through this or I'm going to accept that I won't ever get there.
Competing in this tour against some of the best players has inspired a confidence in my game that I haven't had since I was young. It isn't fully realized yet. I found that out playing against Mika, Bustamante, Ernesto, Oscar, Vilmos, Ruben, Ramon Mistica etc... but it's improving and as I pay my dues and get closer to consistently competing at the level I can play at, that confidence improves more and more.
So I guess what I'm saying is that there are two different types of confidence. There is a naive confidence that comes from youth and lack of experience and there is an experience driven confidence that is the driving force behind the best players around.
I can only hope to fully realize that second type of confidence and can be glad I have at least gotten past that first type of confidence.
Jaden
Confidence quite simply is believing in yourself.
This isn't a simple, oh I believe in myself. It is an inherent knowledge that you can do what you want to do when you NEED to do it.
I used to have it when I was younger and I have been recently building it back.
When you're younger though it comes more from a naivete than from a true understanding.
This past weekend when I was playing Mika for the first money position in the swannee, I had it at the beginning of the match, but then certain things conspired for me to lose it a bit and tense up.
I've had to work at it pretty hard to really get it and I get closer to keeping it every time I get that experience against the legends of the game.
Hearing people talk about me, or who come up to me after the match and say how they love my game or ask me how I do certain things also contributes to it.
People talk about paying your dues and getting the experience and I think that it's all of these things that add up to EARNING that confidence that allows you to play with fearlessness.
I think that many younger players that compete great and then seem to fall off later on don't really have that true EARNED confidence, instead they had been relying on that false naivete inspired confidence and it works against them as they grow in the game.
I'll say that I often got frustrated that I would be able to do things on the table that even great players couldn't and then wouldn't be able to do those things in competition. Or like many people, you do those great things and then turn around and flub an easy shot.
Then when I heard that Oscar was starting the Mezz West State Tour, I thought this is it. I'm either going to get the experience and work through this or I'm going to accept that I won't ever get there.
Competing in this tour against some of the best players has inspired a confidence in my game that I haven't had since I was young. It isn't fully realized yet. I found that out playing against Mika, Bustamante, Ernesto, Oscar, Vilmos, Ruben, Ramon Mistica etc... but it's improving and as I pay my dues and get closer to consistently competing at the level I can play at, that confidence improves more and more.
So I guess what I'm saying is that there are two different types of confidence. There is a naive confidence that comes from youth and lack of experience and there is an experience driven confidence that is the driving force behind the best players around.
I can only hope to fully realize that second type of confidence and can be glad I have at least gotten past that first type of confidence.
Jaden
Remember, there's a difference between confidence (full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing:) and self-confidence. The one pertaining best to pool is most likely self-confidence.
Self-confidence is the confidence in one's self and one's own abilities.
That is a great distinction. To me confidence is a trust that you are going to get it done. I think true confidence is possible on a 50/50 shot with proper focus.
Self-confidence to me is when you are sure that you will eventually get this. Self confident people take steps outside of their comfort zones for instance but in this case I am wondering about true confidence during the shot.
Do you think it is possible to have true confidence in a shot that has a chance to be missed?