Why Confidence-Maxxing Makes People Less Confident

The gist

1. Manson says 50+ years of research shows affirmations and visualization don't build lasting confidence and can reduce motivation to attempt hard things.
2. Confidence only helps when paired with real competence; high self-belief without good judgment, as seen in narcissists, is dangerous.
3. Manson says courage, the ability to act despite fear, matters more than confidence, which Aristotle placed between cowardice and recklessness.
4. Failure is more useful than success because it builds resilience that transfers across all areas of life, not just the task at hand.