I believe many people confuse pride and humility as completely the opposite traits. But they are not completely the opposite.
Being proud and confident doesn’t mean you can’t be humble. If you are proud of your achievements it doesn’t mean you gloat but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your achievements.
Finding a balance between confidence and cockiness is also important to how you are perceived. For example many people perceive Roger Federer as humble but Novak Djokovic as arrogant.
In tennis terms their achievements as very similar however the way they discuss their opponents or their wins may be the discerning factor.
However you can always guarantee that when they make a game plan it revolves around how they will win. Both being confident in their own abilities.
Their approach to the game is similar but the way they speak in the press conference is different.
Federer is considered proud and humble whilst Djokovic is considered cocky and arrogant. This perceived arrogance polarizes people’s opinion of him.
Mohamed Ali, is another athlete that was considered cocky and arrogant but yet now is considered one of the greatest boxer of all time. He would be telling people what he would do to his opponent and he backed it up.
All of these athletes are or were proud of their achievements because they backed their ability.
In the sport of bodybuilding it’s actually more difficult to be considered anything but arrogant, cocky and a poser. As a sport it polarizes people. You love it you hate it.
Yet, if people knew the struggles that many bodybuilders went through and what they struggle with internally people may actually be more understanding of what bodybuilders have gone through and still going through.
Many bodybuilders started off as one of 2 types of kids.
The obese kid that was picked on and ridiculed and started exercising to lose weight and then continues long after they lost the weight.
Or
The skinny kid who was also picked on and bullied and started doing weights to become stronger.
The net result is both resulting adults suffer from always trying not to be the kid they once were. There confidence comes from the weights.
The fact is that most times people who get into bodybuilding for confidence and continue for the pursuit and for fear of being that skinny/fat kid that was bullied.
I was the skinny kid. But I can also say that it was not always me that didn’t like being skinny. It was outside influences that gave me the complex about being skinny.
The other part of my struggle was that I have been perceived to be arrogant and a poser.
It’s a catch 22 situation for me. I have competed since I was 20 but yet I would never train in a gym with a singlet. On a stage I am a different person but in the gym I don’t pose and I stick to myself.
This is seen by many as arrogant but really it isn’t arrogance but just me enjoying my time in the gym.
For me social media in the fitness business online is a must. But unfortunately it is an environment whereby if you post bodybuilding pictures you polarize people.
With females it’s ok to to wear lingerie or bikinis and people will compliment you on how you look. But if you pose like a bodybuilder you are seen as a poser.
Such is the world we live in. I have over the years helped many guys lose weight and gain confidence in themselves but I have always struggled having my own confidence without misjudgment.
I am now 47 and I feel like for the first time I don’t have a problem with the image I portray. I am a bodybuilder and I do enjoy working out. I do enjoy feeling good and I do enjoy looking good.
I enjoy helping people to look good and feel good about themselves. If they want to compete that’s just another challenge.
The point of this blog is that people will always judge you and misjudge you. Most important is that you are comfortable with who you and are proud of what you have achieved.
Just be careful not to disrespect other people’s achievements.
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