Well-Being

To the lay person, confidence is often defined as "believing in yourself". Beyond that definition most (including myself) cannot provide much more detail. Words like "esteem" or "capable" come to mind but if I were to ask myself what are the characteristics of confidence, how to measure them and how to acquire them if you do not have them I would be at a loss. Furthermore, the subjective experience must be considered as much as the objective. What is it like to be confident? To experience confidence? A person could be a master of their craft and still feel despair or a person could be surrounded by love ones and have a sense that they are not legitimate. In addition to the basic definition of confidence there are other items to be discussed. For example, what is a legitimate basis for being confident? What are the moral aspects of confidence? How does this affect a person's relationship with others? So there must be a definition that is more operable. Something with enough utility to allow everyday existence to be understood and reflected upon or the word should be thrown out all together and replaced with something better. In short, a better definition would allow a person to measure their abilities objectively and also to reflect on who they are and to conclude a judgment about it.

A confident person knows that whatever life requires they have faith that they will succeed. They are comfortable with the fact that they've been thrown into this world and can face uncertainty and ambiguity without fear. They can tackle any challenge without hesitation. A confident person does not need courage.

They may question their abilities but they never question themselves or judge themselves as inadequate. Regardless of the result they never question their validity. They are secure in their beliefs and judgments of themselves and the world around them. They will always stand up for themselves and anything that threatens their autonomy and self-respect. They value themselves to the highest degree.

They accept the world around them and most importantly they accept themselves, including their past. They have forgiven every injustice they and others are guilty of. As a result they are naturally authentic, able to be vulnerable to others and open.

	I. Existentialism
		a. The Self
			i. Being
				1) Existence
				2) Thrown In
				3) Anxiety/Despair
			ii. Facticity
				1) A Priori Essence
				2) Self-Definition
				3) History
			iii. Meaning
				1) Absurdity
				2) Purpose
				3) Thought
			iv. Action
				1) Intentionality/Commitment
				2) Free Will
				3) Individual Responsibility
				4) Resilience
			v. Authenticity
				1) Congruency
				2) Integrity
				3) Transparency
				4) Vitality
		b. Well-Being
			i. Self-Esteem
				1) Self-Respect
					a) Recognition
						i) Dignity
						ii) Agency
						iii) Individuality
						iv) Equality
					b) Evaluative
						i) Standards
						ii) Boundaries
						iii) Appraisal
				2) Self-Assuredness
					a) Personal Identity
						i) Beliefs
						ii) Values
						iii) Boundaries
					b) Self-Awareness
						i) Feelings
						ii) Reasoning
					c) Self-Trust
						i) Ability/Credibility
						ii) Strength
						iii) Reliability
			ii. Self-Acceptance
				1) Self-Appraisal
					a) Moral Worth
						i) Good
						ii) Legitimacy
					b) Objective Worth
						i) Value/Utilitarian
						ii) Aesthetic
				2) Self-Approval
					a) Mercy
						i) Forgiveness
						ii) Kindness
						iii) Benevolence
					b) Care
						i) Acceptance
						ii) Unity

The combination of these things result in a person that is flexible, at ease, peaceful. They are resilient and fearless. Capable of engaging both with themselves and the world in real terms without delusion or detachment. These people operate at their highest potential. They are able to form relationships with others that are authentic, honest and just.

They also produce an existence that is integrated and complete. It is just as important to see things from the 1st person perspective as in the 3rd and when we look at things in the context of existence as a whole we see that confidence is really about your relationship with your self. It's about knowing your boundaries in every possible circumstance. It's about taking a balanced approach to everything and finding that sweet spot to life without compromising values and boundaries. On those days we fall short of being perfect, we find the courage to conquer fear and accept the outcome regardless of our success. It's about seeing the real value of people and things.

These principles, all together, can be regarded as necessary and sufficient condition for a positive well-being. It does not attempt to redefine the philosophy of existence, personhood, self or identity (or anything else discussed by Camus or Heidegger), but instead builds on top of those concepts. Heidegger's work describes what being is, but fails to explain how to be. Hopefully this fills that in a bit.