Build Your Confidence

Author Allison Pearson on why we need more confidence

- Author Allison

‘Women always fret, “Am I good enough?”’

Here’s one of life’s great mysteries for you: why are women lacking in confidence when men are so darn full of the stuff? Just look at me. Several years ago, I found myself at a literary event with a male politician. The two speakers, the politician and me, sat next to each other during lunch. Drymouthed, unable to eat a thing, and nervously flicking through my speech, I glanced at him. He’d wolfed down his food, was the life and soul of the party, and had jotted down a few words on a coaster. It took me a minute to realize what the words were – his speech.

When I got up on stage, I joked to the audience that their two speakers had contrasting approaches. “One spent two days writing a 10-page speech, the other scrawled five words on a coaster. Guess which is the girl and which is the boy?”