Be more confident; many people are just mediocre.

Do you ever feel a cautious tension when facing certain people?

At a high-end dinner party, during a meeting with industry leaders, when taking on a new project.

We’re always habitually looking up to those sitting in luxury office buildings with dazzling titles, believing they must possess some kind of extraordinary intelligence.

Today, I want to share a theme:
Don’t be so timid; this world is actually a giant makeshift stage.

Be more confident; many people are just mediocre.

There’s a theory called the “Peter Principle.”

It states that American scholar Laurence Peter analyzed the operation modes of thousands of organizations and came to a startling conclusion: in a hierarchical system, everyone will eventually be promoted to a position they are not competent for.

What does that mean?

When you see a glamorous department director or a powerful vice president, you instinctively think they are capable of anything.

But the Peter Principle tells you that the reason they are stuck in that position is precisely because their abilities have reached a ceiling—they can’t handle higher roles anymore.

In other words, those authorities you see as towering figures are actually struggling in their roles, often just pretending to be confident to hide their helplessness.

They are not gods.

They are just stuck in a system where they happen to be in a position that exposes their weaknesses.

Once you understand this objective law, look at how our brains deceive us.

The “cognitive bias” theory tells us that humans are born with an “asymmetric insight illusion.”

In plain language, when evaluating ourselves, we see the chaotic “behind the scenes”—

You know you stayed up late watching bad shows yesterday, you know how many times you searched Baidu while writing reports, you know every moment of panic and self-doubt inside.

But when evaluating others, you see only the carefully curated “front stage.”

You see them in suits giving speeches in front of PPTs, sharing highlight moments on social media.

When you compare your bleak backstage with their dazzling front stage, your brain naturally forms the illusion of “I’m not as good as them.”

How powerful is this illusion?

Even top minds who truly changed human history are not immune.

The renowned British writer Neil Gaiman once shared a personal story.

He was invited to a dinner gathering of the world’s top scientists, artists, and politicians.

Gaiman stood in a corner, looking at the room full of big shots, feeling overwhelmed.

He thought to himself, I’m just a novelist, I don’t belong here, I might be kicked out by security at any moment.

At that moment, a vigorous old man approached him, looked around at the crowd, sighed, and said to Gaiman:

“I honestly don’t know what I’m doing here.

These people have done so many great things, and I? I just went where I was sent back in the day.”

Gaiman looked at the old man. His name was Neil Armstrong.

Yes, the one who left humanity’s first footprint on the moon.

Even the hero who first set foot on the moon felt like a fraud in this so-called high-end circle.

Einstein, before he died, also confided in a friend:

“The excessive praise for my life's work makes me very uneasy. I always feel like an involuntary fraud.”

See it?

This panic of “I don’t belong,” “I’m not as good,” isn’t because your abilities are truly lacking; it’s the default setting of our human neural system.

When you think others are unfathomable, they might also be nervously praying they aren’t seen through.

Once you understand this logic, you’ll realize that what often widens the gap between people isn’t some extraordinary talent, but that irrational “blind confidence.”

I’ve always admired those who carry a bit of blind confidence—like early internet celebrities, Sister Furong, Fengjie.

Fascinating, right?

Honestly, every time I saw them, I couldn’t help but wonder: where did they get that confidence?

Later, I realized I was being superficial.

There’s a legendary figure in advertising, David Ogilvy.

He dropped out of Oxford, worked as a chef in a fancy restaurant in Paris, was a salesman in the UK, and even spent years farming in Pennsylvania.

When he decided to open an ad agency on Madison Avenue in New York at age 38, he had no advertising experience, no clients, and hadn’t even written many copy drafts.

Most people would have been too ashamed to even try.

But what did Ogilvy do?

He bought a guide on how to do advertising, put on his best suit, spoke with a pure British accent, and confidently walked into the offices of big corporations, telling them:

I can help you make a lot of money.

This irrational confidence helped him land huge accounts like Rolls-Royce and Shell Oil, eventually building a giant Ogilvy advertising empire.

Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell once said very insightfully:

“The trouble with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so sure of themselves, while the wise are full of doubts.”

Since the world is just a makeshift stage, and everyone is just crossing the river by feeling their way, how can ordinary people break through inner fears and regain control?

Here are three methods.

1. Activate the “God’s eye view” to demystify the halo

Next time you face intimidating big shots, interviewers, or clients, and feel your palms sweating, do a mental “dimensionality reduction.”

Imagine they wake up in the morning with bedhead, get annoyed helping their kids with homework, or turn red from constipation…

Strip away those social labels—they are just carbon-based beings who eat, drink, urinate, have weaknesses, and feel anxious.

When you bring them down from the pedestal and look at them eye-to-eye, it naturally changes your perspective.

The confidence in negotiation and communication always comes from not looking up to others.

2. Use “MVP mindset” to seize opportunities

Don’t wait until you’re 100% prepared to act.

Silicon Valley has a well-established product development rule called MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Top companies never wait to perfect a product before launching; they start with a basic version that works, then iterate based on user feedback.

Your life should also adopt an MVP approach.

Don’t wait until you master a skill completely before applying for jobs, or until you feel invincible before taking on big projects.

The real rule at Stanford Business School is:

If you’re 60% confident, go all in and hold on tight to the opportunity.

The remaining 40%? Learn on the job amidst the chaos.

Remember, those who seem so confident are often pushed into that state through real-world practice.

3. Use “psychological distance” to start “self-dialogue”

When feeling anxious or insecure, your brain’s emotional center overloads.

The fastest way to regain calm is to start a “self-dialogue.”

Don’t tell yourself “I’m so scared, I can’t do it.” Instead, detach yourself mentally and call out your name: “Wang Daqiang, you’re a bit nervous now, but you can definitely handle this report.”

This simple shift in perspective can instantly create psychological distance, cut through emotional overwhelm, and make you act as a rational observer guiding your body to complete the task.

This is the “substitution effect” many top athletes use on the field.

The world isn’t as complex or insurmountable as you think.

That seemingly heavy bronze door might not even be locked; those behind it are often just wearing ill-fitting shoes, desperately maintaining appearances.

Stop lingering outside, stop self-flagellating with perfectionism.

This isn’t some false comfort; it’s the power you already have to flip the table, just overshadowed by your own modesty and humility, handing the stage over to braver souls.

Stand tall, open your eyes wide, and put away your unnecessary fears.

Take back what’s rightfully yours.

We are in this together. #成长值抽奖赢金条