Swagger Part II
May 11th, 2007Yonderincarp said:
For what it is worth, I think ’swagger’ in as much as it is that machismo thing says more that you don’t really know yourself and that you are insecure and have something to prove. To me the ideal is to be very capable, to be humble without straying into false humility and self-deprecation, and to have that kind of solid confidence that doesn’t need to advertise itself. Maybe I have too much Yankee and German farmer blood, but when I see swagger, I see instability.
Wonderfully put. Once again, I shoot my mouth off without verifying something. I checked the word “swagger” in the dictionary and found it really is an insult. Whoops, my bad. I was unaware it meant “false confidence.” I thought it meant more along the lines of “beaming with confidence.”
The reason for the original post was the word swagger was misused by Europeans against us, because Americans are a confident people. You have to be confident in life. You have to believe in yourself when you walk into that job interview, or you try out for a sports team, a dance troupe, a band (music), or when you apply for that business or home loan, or whatever. Too much humbleness will get you nowhere, but it is truly best to let others boast about you. So there’s a balance there.
Braggarts can be annoying. Look at Keyshawn Johnson for example. But to be too humble, you won’t get that raise, you won’t get that promotion, and you won’t get that business loan. You have to sell yourself in life, unless of course, you are content with what you’re doing currently. And if that’s the case, you’ve already won. I can’t speak for you, but I can speak for me, and I’m not there yet.
Thank you Yonder, and I stand corrected. Next time I’ll check my facts better. 
I’ve been thinking about this post for the last couple of days. I totally understand what you were getting at. I didn’t think swagger was the right word, but I couldn’t think of a better one.
I guess what it all boils down to is self-confidence. I’ve seen this so much in the teens I’ve dealt with….slumped shoulders, head hanging down, curled up posture. I call this a walking fetal position. They’re trying to protect themselves from the world by being as unobtrusive as possible.
I constantly nagged my kids about this…throw your shoulders back, lift your head up, stand straight and look the world in the eye!
A slumped, curled inward posture shows a giant “kick me” sign to the world. Display a posture that shows the world you can kick back!
yonder expressed much more clearly what i was trying to say in my original comment, way to go!
Wow I never even thought about it really. But Tshsmom hit it right on the nose though. I couldnt have said it any better. But I suppose Tshsmom does have at least 20 years on me to have that common knowledge. LOL…
Tshsmom - Yeah, my son does that and it drives me nuts. it’s his generation. America is becoming Europeanized. It’s sick.
Lime - Yonder’s the man. I wish I could write half as well as he could.
Tweety - She is wise indeed. I’m learning the hard way that I’m far from being wise sometimes. I’ll need another decade or two.
ZS, tell Jr. that he’ll be taller if he stands up straight. That strategy worked with Z and my grandson.
Yeah, the thing is, he’s the tallest kid in his grade, but I think he feels out of place being taller than everyone else.
BUMMER! It’s tough being even the slightest bit different. It’ll get better when the others catch up to him.
How about telling him that chicks dig tall guys?
George W. Bush swaggers.