Everyday Canvas

Confidence and Work-Life Ratio

Prompt: Do you believe confidence, even false confidence, can boost a person’s reputation?


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Yes, of course. It happens not only with us humans but also in other species. Just watch a monkey clan, and you’ll see the dominant monkey going around shoulders straight and arms hanging on the side as if ready to punch someone. When in need of showing their superiority, they bang their fists on their chests and make loud voices. I watched enough animal documentaries and Tarzan movies to know this.

This same monkey-behavior happens in the dominant people with heavy-duty reputations, especially if they are presidential candidates. (I am not saying any names here, so don’t you get on my case.)

Confidence, when perceived as existing, does have an effect on the dominance factor. These people exert more influence in discussions and their answers are given greater weight than others because they almost regularly exert a hypnotic influence on people watching them.

Not that this kind of influence is always so bad. Sometimes people try to live up to their perceived potentials. On the other hand, their falsettos may block the effect of people with true capabilities. This means the work is on our shoulders to figure out what someone is actually saying instead of getting caught up in how they are saying it.

Prompt: Do you think you have a decent work/life balance?

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No. I never did have a hundred percent or rather 50/50 work/life balance. It tilts or rather goes all the way to one side or to the other.

Yet, if it didn’t, life would be so boring. I can’t imagine doing the same old things every single day. When my time and circumstances favor one side or other, it means I am having an exciting time either with work or with life. I am happy with the status quo.