Acharya Prashant explains that confidence means certainty or belief. We often complain about a lack of self-confidence, but if we look closely, we find that we lack belief in anything at all. We are not even truly certain that the ground beneath our feet exists. This is because whatever we believe in is not our own; it is borrowed from others, heard, or read. Any belief that is not our own can be shaken by strong arguments. You may have deep faith in a friendship, but someone can come and shake that faith with sharp arguments. You have nothing that cannot be uprooted. Everything we know is not our own; we have not known it ourselves. It has been received from the outside, and we have accepted it. Whatever comes from the outside, whether heard, read, or followed as a tradition, can never give you deep certainty. This is why we lack confidence. The issue is not just about self-confidence; we lack confidence in everything. The information we have is about the world, and we have gathered this information from external, secondary sources. It is surprising that to know the world that is right in front of us, we rely on information from others instead of our own senses and mind. The world is right here, and the tools to know it—senses and mind—are with us. Yet, we seek information about it from others. This creates a conflict. A child is curious and wants to know things directly by touching and tasting. But when they are told that what they see is not right, and what is being told is right, they get confused. The child learns to suppress their direct experience and accept what they are told. This is the moment a child learns to close their eyes and starts to believe what the world says, not what they see. This creates a split within, and you can no longer have faith. You can neither trust yourself nor the things you have been taught. This is the state of tension. The only way out is to choose one of two paths: either become completely dead like a machine, or become fully alive. To be fully alive is a perilous task because the world does not like those who are fully alive. But this is the price you must pay. When you start living by your own experience, you will gain self-confidence. This self-confidence is a wonderful thing; it makes you light and independent of others' validation. You do what you do, and you know it is right.