How to Be More Confident Without “Faking” It

Five essential tips to boost your confidence and help you live a better life

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

I used to think confidence was something you were either born with or faked your way into. I’d see others speaking up in meetings or walking into a room as if they owned it, and I'd wonder, “How do they do that?” So, for a while, I tried to copy them — mimicked their tone, posture, and even phrases. But it always felt off, like I was pretending.

It took me a while to realize that true confidence isn’t about pretending to be someone else. It’s about being comfortable with who you are.

Let that sink in.

Confidence isn’t about puffing your chest out or acting like you have it all figured out. The people who try too hard to appear confident often come across as the most insecure.

Here’s how I slowly built confidence without faking it, and how you can too.

Know Your Stuff

I had to give many presentations during my time in college. At first, I was very nervous, and it showed when I was up there saying my lines. It took me a few trial and errors to dig deeper and understand the root cause of my lack of confidence. It wasn’t because of my mindset or personality. It was due to my lack of…