It is a human thing to look around and see how everyone else is doing. It can have advantages - pushing you, getting inspiration and other ideas etc - but also disadvantages - constant peer pressure, never being satisifed etc. A useful analogy is Swimming vs Boxing - it is better to swim your own course at your own pace, while occassionally seeing how others are doing around you....vs....always looking at the opponent directly in front of you and measuring your success by their demise.

1) When I compare myself to others it normally makes me feel bad. Why is that?

2) What are the pros and what are the cons of comparing?

3) What is the difference between Swimming and Boxing?

Outright conning your way into something is not advisable. But putting on a brave face and saying you can do something convincingly, to give you the confidence needed to actually do it, is a legitimate strategy.

1) Telling yourself you can do something can help you do it. Why is this?

2) What does someone look or sound like when they are not confident?

3) What role does body language play in creating self-confidence?

An already fragile confidence is often broken at the first push back - and children are very quick to find someone's weak spots and push hard. It is worth considering what gives off the impression you are weak or not confident and working on that, to allow time for it to grow stronger.

1) Slumped shoulders are a sign I think. What other types of body language indicate low confidence?

2) How does someone speak if they are not confident? (quietly, unclear etc)

3) So what can we do to appear more confident ourselves?