The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance---What Women Should Know

A rat’s confidence might be broadly described as a belief that it can create a successful outcome (drops of water) through its action (waiting).

What matters is that mastering one thing gives you the confidence to try something else.

When women don’t act, when we hesitate because we aren’t sure, even by skipping a few questions, we hold ourselves back. It matters.

Self-esteem is essential for emotional well-being, but it is distinct from confidence because confidence is typically tied to feelings about what we can achieve: “I am confident that I can run this race and get to the end.” Self-esteem tends to be more stable and more

Confidence occurs when the insidious self-perception that you aren’t able is trumped by the stark reality of your achievements.

But after thirty minutes of talk we’d uncovered overthinking, people pleasing, and an inability to let go of defeats—three traits we had already realized belonged on a confidence blacklist.