3 'Self-Limiting Beliefs' You Need To Let Go Of

These three skewed beliefs can crush your confidence. Here's why you need to unlearn them.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | April 29, 2025

Confidence is a quality everyone desires, and it's celebrated in almost every area of life. It's the quiet force that empowers you to take risks, step into the unknown and face life's challenges with resilience.

However, no one is born confident, we develop this skill over time. It's shaped by the beliefs instilled in us as children and continually influenced by our experiences as we navigate life.

The way we were raised, the messages we received and the challenges we navigate all play a role in how our confidence grows or diminishes. While not everyone has had the same upbringing or life experiences, the good news is that you can continue to build and cultivate your confidence at any stage of life.

Confidence doesn't have to be something you have to wait to discover. It's something you can actively choose to build by letting go of old thought patterns that have been holding you back. It's about stepping into your true potential and believing that you have everything it takes.

Here are three skewed beliefs you must unlearn to cultivate true confidence.

1. 'Fake It Till You Make It'

The phrase "fake it till you make it" is often bandied as sound advice for when you need to push through moments of self-doubt and discomfort.

And in the short term, this dictum holds good. Adopting confident behaviors such as standing tall, speaking assertively or maintaining eye contact can be useful, especially in high-pressure situations like presentations or job interviews. These actions help you overcome initial nerves and step into a more confident version of yourself, even if you don't fully feel it at first.

However, while this can give you a temporary boost, it's important to recognize that true confidence is built on self-awareness and acceptance, not just outward appearances. Relying solely on "faking it" can disconnect you from your authentic self, leaving you feeling like an impostor over time.

Genuine confidence comes from knowing yourself fully — your strengths, weaknesses and everything in between. It's about accepting yourself unconditionally, even when you're still growing or uncertain.

Classic research on self-esteem shows that people with low self-esteem tend to have less clarity and certainty about who they are, while those with high self-esteem have a clearer, more stable understanding of themselves.

Over a series of four experiments testing self-esteem and self-concept clarity, researchers determined that individuals with low self-esteem had less clarity and certainty in their self-concept, which led to unstable and inconsistent confidence.

Rebuilding confidence is a journey that starts in the inside — by actively reflecting on your limiting beliefs as they surface. True confidence comes from knowing and accepting yourself, not just on good days, but especially when self-doubt shows up.

One way to do this is by paying attention to the stories you tell yourself in those moments. Are they rooted in fear, past conditioning or comparison? Gently challenge them by creating affirmations that directly counter those narratives.

The more personal and belief-specific your affirmations are, the more they help rewire your brain while reminding you that you're safe and evolving. Over time, this can help deepen your self-concept and allow genuine confidence to take root.

2. 'Mimic Someone Confident And It'll Rub Off On You'

It's natural to look up to people who radiate confidence. Maybe it's how they speak in meetings, the way they carry themselves or how effortlessly they seem to hold space in a room. Modeling their behavior can be helpful, but only when it's used as a tool to learn.

When you observe and learn from a role model's behaviors and mindset, it can help you rebuild your sense of self. But the key lies in your approach.

Research published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2021 shows that modeling through role models boosts self-efficacy — the belief in your ability to succeed. When you see someone with similar traits achieve something, it strengthens your own belief that you can do it too. This can lead to a flow state — a deep and engaged mental state linked to motivation and peak performance.

However, researchers do mention that for this to be effective, the person you look up to should share certain similarities with you, such as age, background or skill level and the role model should resonate with you on a personal level.

If you're constantly trying to replicate someone's traits, behaviors or achievements without considering your own unique strengths and qualities, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy or frustration.

The danger lies in comparing your journey to someone else's, which can create unrealistic expectations and self-doubt when you don't achieve similar results.

For instance, if you try to mimic a role model's behavior without acknowledging the different circumstances or background that shaped their success, it can undermine your confidence instead of boosting it. The key is to use role models as a source of inspiration, not as an exact template for your own life.

While it can be inspiring to model the behaviors and traits of confident individuals, it's crucial to honor your journey and experiences. Instead of merely copying someone, focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Draw inspiration from their traits, but work toward developing your confidence in alignment with your individuality and values.

3. 'Being Confident Means Being Loud And Extroverted'

Many people are misled by the notion that to be confident, you need to be outspoken, bold and constantly "out there." This belief often stems from societal influences where loud, assertive individuals are celebrated and seen as the epitome of confidence. However, the truth is that confidence doesn't require you to fit that extroverted mold.

Being outspoken and in the spotlight may come naturally to some, but it doesn't define true confidence. Confidence is much more about how comfortable and assured you feel in your skin.

It's about knowing your worth, trusting your judgment and feeling secure in your abilities, even if you're not the loudest person in the room. When you understand this, you stop measuring confidence through volume or visibility and start defining it on your terms.

A 2011 study challenges the popular assumption that extraverted traits are always beneficial for leadership and performance and shows that being outspoken and dominant isn't always a strength, especially in environments where listening and collaboration matter.

Researchers found that extraverted leaders do well when their teams are passive and not likely to take initiative. In these cases, the leader's assertiveness helps drive action. But when team members are proactive, i.e., they speak up, take initiative and offer ideas, extraverted leaders may perform worse because they tend to be less receptive to others' input.

In contrast, less extraverted (or more introverted) leaders were shown to create better outcomes with proactive teams, as they're more likely to listen and support others' ideas.

So, if you're not naturally outgoing, it doesn't mean you're any less confident. Confidence can reflect through quiet conviction and the way you carry yourself, even without saying much. Whether your presence is soft-spoken or bold, staying true to yourself is what truly defines your personal brand of confidence.

Reframing Confidence Through Self-Compassion

Most of us aren't short on potential — we're just carrying beliefs that dim it. You may often think confidence means never messing up, but how you talk to yourself after a setback says more about your confidence than how you handle success.

Practice self-compassionate language in these moments by saying something like, "That didn't go as planned, but it doesn't define me. I can try again differently." This reaffirms your resilience and builds emotional safety from within. Confidence grows when you stop proving and start trusting, not in some perfect version of you, but in the one who's learning and figuring it out anyway.

Are you truly accepting yourself with all your imperfections? Take this science-backed test to find out: Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.