The Difference between Confidence and Arrogance

There's a thin line between these two. I think maybe defining confidence and arrogance could be helpful for a lot of unsure people out there (including myself).

Confidence would mean being realistically aware of your good sides and knowing how to use them, but still keeping in mind the boundaries of your skills, while arrogance means overestimating your skills.

Confidence: I can safely drive this car.

Arrogance: Nobody can tell me how to drive my car! I'm an ace driver!

Arrogance and confidence are the same except arrogance rubs it in other people's faces.

Confident: I can do this.

Arrogant: I can do this, therefore you suck.

Confidence is feeling quite strongly that you are correct.

Arrogance is refusing to recognize the possibility that you could be wrong.

^ Good one.

Confidence is when you thought you could do something, and you were right.

Arrogance is when you thought you could do something, insisted that you could do it, rejected any and all suggestions that you couldn't do it, and you were wrong...

Same thing, it depends on whether or not a person likes it. If a person is not infuriated, then it's confidence. If they are, it's arrogance.

One can still be arrogant and accomplish the given task. It's just more.. iunno, satisfying to bystanders when they get their comeuppance.

Personal feel about the subject:

Confidence: I'm pretty sure I can do task X given restrictions Y. Here, lemme show you.

Arrogance: I'm so sure I can do task X given restrictions Y, that you should feel blessed if I decide to show you.

Confidence is simply having a high, but grounded, opinion of ones ability in an area. As in, I am confident I can now split cells correctly without contaminating them or putting myself or others in danger, because I have been doing it for five weeks now without problems.

Arrogance is having an exaggerated self image of ones ability to do something, which surpasses actual ability. As in, it would be arrogant of me to think, after only seven weeks of being on placement, that I can split cells quicker and more reliably than my three collegues who have been working in the lab and doing these procedures for years.

This might help you.

Everyone already said it. But I will put in my little anecdote/metaphor: Confidence is knowing you can play multiple instruments and know you can do it well, arrogance is when you can play multiple instruments well and have to make everybody else know that you can.

Sorry, but upon reflection I think I had arrogance confused with hubris.