Conversely, happiness is frequently linked to life satisfaction, wealth, well-being, a circle of wonderful friends, fulfilling relationships, and successful careers. Yet, it seems that the link between confidence and happiness isn't widely acknowledged. You rarely hear advice like, "Always be happy to boost your confidence." Does it then make sense to link confident people with happy ones?
Let's shed some light on what some brilliant academics have discovered.
The Link Between Confidence and Happiness
We'll examine some evidence that supports the two being positively correlated:
Based on a 2014 study involving 200 students, happiness and self-esteem are positively correlated, meaning that higher self-esteem results in happier people. A positive correlation has also been observed in a recent Irish study on self-appraisals that indicate approval, happiness, and life satisfaction.
One widely cited paper on the correlation between happiness and confidence by Professor Roy Baumeister is titled: Does Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles? Citing a large-scale study involving 31,000 students from 49 universities across five continents,
Baumeister emphasises that self-esteem is the most important and expected factor for overall life satisfaction. The correlation between confidence and happiness was a striking 47%, which indicates an extremely close relationship in statistical evidence. Baumeister also references other studies supporting the conclusions above, suggesting that self-esteem is one of the predictors of happiness.
Self-Esteem's Predictive Power of Happiness
Ten years ago, Mary Guindon, a counsellor, instructor, and educator on mental health, career development, and self-esteem issues, and a former head and associate professor in the counselling and human services department at John Hopkins University, surveyed counsellors in New Jersey schools.
Participants were asked to recall five traits of students with high and low self-esteem. Students with high self-esteem were viewed as confident, honest, happy, optimistic, positive, and motivated, compared to those with low self-esteem, who were described as isolated, shy, quiet, insecure, achieving less, negative, unhappy, socially unqualified, unenthusiastic, depressed, dependent, and self-critical.
In another part of the widely recognised study, experimental tests indicate that confident people are considerably different from people who have low self-esteem in almost every way.
Furthermore, people with low self-esteem are considered less emotionally stable, more sensitive to criticism, prone to social anxiety, insecure, and respond negatively to failure—all of which are factors that eventually connect low self-esteem to complete misery. Conversely, a high sense of self-worth helps overcome some of the mental distress brought on by unfortunate circumstances, challenges, and rejections.
How's that possible?
It has to do with the way confident people view failure. This was discovered by Professor Jonathon Brown, a renowned social psychologist and self-esteem researcher from the University of Washington in Seattle, United States.
Brown believes that confidence serves as a "protective shield," and his research asserts that confident individuals view failure as temporary setbacks and opportunities to grow. Most importantly, they do not harshly criticize themselves, meaning their self-worth remains intact after experiencing disappointment.
Confident People Are Always on the Lookout for Connections
Low self-esteem often pairs up with social aversion, shyness, and a desire to retreat, leaving the person feeling isolated and uninterested in meeting new faces.
But flip the coin, and you'll find the confident ones eagerly embracing social gatherings, growing their networks, and believing in themselves and the value they bring to the world. They understand the importance of communication and forging bonds because they know it’s the secret sauce to being appreciated, supported, and recognized.
Research says the real key to happiness is those tight-knit relationships we build. So, studies agree that confident people are happier in general. They chase after lasting connections, nurturing them like precious blooms.
Confident People Aren’t Out for Compliments, Either
Generally, confident people don't look for praise; unlike those with low self-esteem, they know their value.
Comparisons steal happiness, as we all know, and they also cause misery, anxiety, and a sense of unfulfilled living. That whole "I want more than others" mindset is a dangerous mental trap that sets us up against each other all the time and makes nothing—not even ourselves—seem good enough.
However, social comparison theory tells us that confident people might compare themselves to those who outshine them, but it's driven by a desire to improve, not to prove anything to themselves or others.
In a nutshell
It's noteworthy that assuming confident people are always happy might be a bit off the mark. Life isn't always easy for them. We all face setbacks, failures, and unfavorable events that stir up panic, worry, sorrow, and grief. It's all part of the package deal called life.
As was previously noted, confident people typically exhibit higher levels of emotional stability, a more positive outlook, and a greater sense of self-respect and self-acceptance. They're therefore better able to focus on the good things in life, form more connections, and avoid comparing themselves to other people.
Instead, they aim to improve their lives through experiences and self-improvement, hence making them more capable of managing life's ups and downs and reaching their goals.
All these perks that come with confidence translate into long-term improvements in well-being and life satisfaction—what we call the good life. And that, in turn, gives us a sense of joy, peace with ourselves, excitement, and gratitude, or, in other words, happiness.
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