We are in week 3 of a 4-week series on confidence. The first week we reviewed the normal development of confidence and last week, we reviewed a trio of issues that interfere with gaining confidence and actually often unjustly decrease confidence. This week we look at three more common interrupters – comparison, external validation, and projected judgment.

“Comparison is the thief of joy” has been attributed to a few famous leaders. Regardless of who said it, it is so...

Let’s explore external validation. I believe it’s an important topic since it, along with unhealthy perfectionism and a couple of other issues, played a role in my burnout story. Residents, and faculty alike, often fall prey to an unhealthy desire for others' approval.

The satisfaction of external validation is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. It’s a natural occurrence with some adaptive consequences historically.  Wanting to belong and a desire for external...