Self-confidence is a judgement one makes regarding his own ability to meet opposition effectively in a given situation. It is the sense of being competent and capable of having or gathering the resources necessary to bring about a desired outcome. It is a learned quality that begins development in early childhood. A person's level of self-confidence determines what she will risk in a particular setting. Consequently, it is a determinate factor of overall achievement.
Context
Confidence is situational. A person may be very sure of herself in one context, while terribly insecure in another. The human mind needs to find within it enough successful points of reference to categorize any type of event as being manageable. Without a history of positive performance to rely on, a situation projects uncertainty, which the mind then determines as dangerous, leading to feelings of insecurity and inhibition. If one approaches new tasks easily, the mind trusts its own ability to adapt to a new situation, which it then generalizes it across many areas.
Competence
Confidence increases with competence. The more skilled a person becomes in a certain task, the less fearful he is at the idea of performing that task. A good example is driving a car. Operating an automobile is a complex skill that is difficult to learn, yet easy to maintain. At the outset, most drivers feel a tremendous amount of anxiety when on the road. Over time, and after several successful trips, the tension fades, and driving becomes second nature. Continuous action tends to eventually override insecurity, as it, by definition, requires repetitive involvement.
Perception
If a person witnesses someone who she admires or considers to be more capable than herself suffer a defeat, she will likely project that she, too, would be unable to accomplish such a task. Additionally, a negative event that happens to someone who a person considers to be like himrself is likely to produce the same negative response.
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