To Korean readers
Recommendation_Kim Kyung-jip (Humanist)
Prologue: Where Does Confidence Come From?

First Law

How is confidence built?
_There is one decisive word that brings out confidence.
1.
One word that will inspire confidence
2.
The miraculous moment when 'you can do it' turns into 'I can do it'
3.
Confidence begins with finding myself.
4.
Taking the first step into an unfamiliar place

Second Law

Skill is confidence
_Build solid skills that will make your fear disappear.
1.
The moment when skill leads to confidence
2.
Small successes build confidence.
3.
Small changes make a big difference

Third Law

I follow my heart
Self-confidence and self-trust breed self-confidence.
1.
Confidence is not being chased by time
2.
Confidence is not losing direction

Fourth Law

Confidence comes from determination.
How to choose and decide without hesitation
1.
Every decision is uncertain
2.
Decide before you take on the challenge
3.
Training to make decisions starting from small things

Fifth Law

Small successes build confidence.
How to Experience One Success Every Day
1.
How to Taste Success Every Day
2.
Homo Faber's Confidence Lesson

Law 6

Confidence is just a start
_How to enjoy even the unpredictable
1.
The moment you take a step
2.
Think while you act

Seventh Law

When you want to be like someone, you gain confidence.
_Find someone who will awaken my desires
1.
The power to keep moving forward without stopping
2.
How to live my own way
3.
How to find your own way

Law 8

Don't compare yourself to others
_How to live true to my desires
1.
'I', incomparable to anything else
2.
Desire is mine

Law 9

Confidence is believing in possibilities.
_How to believe that all good things lie ahead
1.
Taking a step outside of your comfort zone
2.
How to Tame Fear

Epilogue

How do people who eventually succeed behave?

So how can we cultivate confidence, the most important thing in life? French philosopher and author Charles Pépin first explores the answer through a young child riding a two-wheeled bicycle.
The moment a child who has been riding a four-wheeled bicycle finally takes off the training wheels and rides a two-wheeled bicycle is the moment of confidence and joy that he or she feels for the first time in his or her life.
There are three driving forces that can help a child gain confidence at this time.
The belief that my father is holding me securely from behind, the belief in my ability to run as I have practiced, and the joy and satisfaction I feel when riding a two-wheeled bicycle.
In this way, confidence is created through the combination of many factors, much like alchemy.


Is there a way to regain the confidence I once had? Can't we live each day feeling that confidence? To uncover the secret, we need to examine the paths taken by those who live with extraordinary confidence.
Looking at them, we can see that confidence is not something that is innate, but something that is created.
Looking back at the lives of Madonna, Patrick Edranger, George Sand, Serena Williams, and others, we can see how confidence develops.


Madonna, who exudes explosive charisma and delivers groundbreaking performances on stage, was neither talented nor a child with high self-esteem.
But Madonna's life changed with a single word from her dance teacher, Miss Flynn.
The moment she heard the words, “You are beautiful, talented, and have explosive charisma,” the confidence that had been dormant in Madonna’s heart came alive.


A look at the growth of world-class tennis player Serena Williams shows that confidence comes from skill, and that skill is honed through intense training.
As you train by constantly repeating the same movements, your skills will gradually become second nature and you will eventually gain confidence.

Of course, even if you don't have a good teacher nearby like these or haven't been developing your skills since you were four, there are ways to build confidence in your everyday life.
Just taking a quiet moment once a week to reflect on your own feelings, to quickly decide on small things like, "Should I wear a skirt or pants today? Should I wear a T-shirt or a dress shirt?" Just developing the habit of doing this will boost your confidence.
Anyone can become a confidence expert by following these nine rules and training methods to build confidence, from developing skills and knowledge to small, everyday practices.


Where does confidence come from?

So what is the foundation of self-confidence? It's self-belief, or self-trust.
To uncover the source of this confidence, we must listen to philosophers such as Emerson, Nietzsche, Bergson, and Jacques Lacan.
Jacques Lacan reveals the secret of self-confidence through his theory of the 'mirror stage'.
A child standing in front of a mirror in the arms of an adult immediately looks back at the adult to confirm his or her own reflection.
It means being recognized as oneself through others.
In this way, confidence comes from relationships with others.


The source of confidence can also be found in Nietzsche's words, "Be who you are."
People who compare themselves to others by following prevailing morals or norms can never be confident.
People who boldly live their authentic lives know how to confidently express their most intense desires.

Bergson argues that humans are closer to Homo faber (tool-using humans) than to Homo sapiens (thinking humans), and that we can draw confidence from our creative nature.
If you experience a sense of accomplishment from small activities in your daily life, such as making something yourself or fixing an electrical appliance, you will gradually build up your confidence and be able to take on bigger challenges.
We also find the secrets of self-confidence in the experiences of athletes, fighter pilots, and rescue workers, and in the research of psychologists, psychoanalysts, and educators.