Self-Confidence: A Philosophy

Self-Confidence: A Philosophy
Charles Pepin

An essential read for anyone who has encountered a crisis of confidence. Where does self-confidence come from? How does it work? Why are some people more confident than others? On the surface, these seem like simple questions – but answers can feel hard to come by when we need them most. In this bestselling book, Charles Pépin brings to light the strange alchemy that is self-confidence. Pépin examines the role confidence plays in the lives of our most respected public figures including the likes of Madonna, Mozart, Frieda Kahlo, Martin Luther King and Serena Williams, and argues that above all, to live a life of confidence is to live a life of action. Drawing on the collective wisdom of philosophers, psychologists and the lives of people we encounter on a daily basis, Pépin invites us to probe the mystery and mastery of self-confidence.

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Copyright (#ufefd8fef-250d-54cc-b8ed-2b59de9c26db)

William Collins

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

WilliamCollinsBooks.com (http://www.WilliamCollinsBooks.com)

This eBook first published in Great Britain by William Collins in 2020

Copyright © Allary Éditions, 2018

Translation copyright © Willard Wood, 2019

Cover design by Jack Smyth

Charles Pépin asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008324018

Ebook Edition © January 2020 ISBN: 9780008324025

Version: 2020-11-16

Dedication (#ufefd8fef-250d-54cc-b8ed-2b59de9c26db)

For Victoria, Marcel, and Georgia

Because I only have to look at you to feel confidence. In myself. In life. And most of all in you.

Contents

1  Cover (#uf8162144-3f4d-5bec-a464-bb1fed3a74fd)

2  Title Page

3  Copyright

4  Dedication

5  Contents (#ufefd8fef-250d-54cc-b8ed-2b59de9c26db)

6  Introduction

7  1. Cultivate Strong Ties

8 2. Go into Training

9  3. Listen to Yourself

10  4. Expose Yourself to Wonder

11  5. Decide

12  6. Get Your Hands Dirty

13  7. Swing into Action

14  8. Admire

15  9. Stay True to Your Desire

16  10. Trust the Mystery

17  Conclusion

18  Works Contributing to This Book

19  Index

20  About the Author

21  About the Publisher

LandmarksCover (#uf8162144-3f4d-5bec-a464-bb1fed3a74fd)FrontmatterStart of ContentBackmatter

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Introduction (#ufefd8fef-250d-54cc-b8ed-2b59de9c26db)

The stabilisers came off this morning. All of four years old, she hops on her bike and takes off under a blue sky. Her father runs alongside, one hand at her back, the other gripping the bicycle seat. She pedals faster and faster, clutching the handlebars. Her father encourages her: ‘Don’t stop pedalling,’ he says. ‘Look straight ahead. You’re doing great!’ He lets go of the seat. The child picks up speed. She maintains her balance, rolling along without her father’s help. When she realises this, she shouts with joy and speeds ahead. She feels buoyant and free: she has confidence.

But what does she have confidence in, exactly?

In her own abilities? In her father? In this moment of family happiness?