I'm arrogant

In the past few months I’ve decided to stop running away from it and face the facts; I’m arrogant – and I’m not afraid to admit it. Arrogance is usually considered as a huge negative, but I believe that if approached the right way there can be some positive drawn from it. Before I elaborate, let’s quickly define arrogance according to Webster:

“an insulting way of thinking or behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more important than other people.”

I agree with about 90% of this definition, but unfortunately I realized a while back that I have my own way of defining certain words that meet my current needs. Here is the definition of arrogance that I use for myself:

“an often [misinterpreted] way of thinking or behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more [valuable] than [your current self ].”

I don’t think I’m better, smarter, or more valuable than you, in fact I know that you can teach me many things that can make me a better and smarter person and I hope you do. My arrogance has nothing to do with you, however it has everything to do with me. I know I’m better, smarter, and more valuable than what I show today. I have so much more potential, so much more to give, so much more to offer the world. Every day I wake up challenging myself to outperform the person I was yesterday. Most days I fail and fall flat face-first to the ground, but on those lucky days that I succeed I’m shown that I can raise myself to another level only if I believe that I can.

I can be a better person.

I can be a smarter leader.

I can be a more valuable teammate.

It’s not easy. It’s mentally and physically draining. Imagine the constant battles I have with myself telling me that whatever I’ve achieved to this day barely cracks the full potential I possess. It’s quite depressing, but equally motivating. Most people see this arrogance directed to them, they misinterpret it and that’s simply not the case. That’s okay though – not everyone is going to understand and I can’t expect them to. I apologize if that is the case, I truly value you as a person and want to learn so much from you.

But if you can’t eventually understand my arrogance, I won’t continue apologizing. This is who I am. I am arrogant in my own special way. I need to be arrogant and if I stopped being arrogant then I start settling for less. I just have too much to prove to myself to allow the opinions of others to get in the way of my goals. I don’t see why everyone shouldn’t be just a little more arrogant – the “Shahzil way” that is.

“They can’t comprehend,
Or even come close to understanding him.
I guess if I was boring they would love me more.
Guess if I was simple in the mind,
Everything would be fine.”
– Kid Cudi