Re: Dr. J and arrogance

[Kim Malo <kmalo19@idt.net>]

At 05:07 PM 5/4/98 -0300, Cecil Wright wrote:
>I think we need to make a clear distinction between arrogance and confidence
>because their is a clear difference.  An arrogant person is conceited  and
>overbearing.  The kind that you avoid at a party.  A person who in spite of
>whatever the topic is, can always top it.  A confident person is bold and
>has the courage to take chances, regardless of the outcome.

I dunno as I agree with this, Cecil. I think these may be negative
connotations you, and maybe most people, put on arrogance. But it's not what
arrogance IS. To me, the difference is that confidence is being secure in
yourself and your own abilities, while arrogance is simply thinking you are
better than others. You can be arrogant without being conceited and
obnoxious, just as you can act conceited and obnoxious without truly being
arrogant. I've known arrogant people that were not the obnoxious types you
describe -usually when, as Paul points out is possible, the two are
combined. The sort of behaviour you desribe usually comes from insecurity
parading as confidence, rather than a real belief one is better. 

Where does this tie into basketball? Well, I actually believe that you DO
need a certain level of arrogance to be one of the best. You can have all
the talent in the world, but if you don;t believe that you are better and
that your rightful place is at the top, then you won't get there, because
you won't push your talent far enough and do all the things you need to, to
do so. We've all known very bright or talented people who were total
failures, many of them for failing to believe ehat they really had better
than aver age talent or brains. Arrogance alone can't make you good enough
to justify it, but without that belief that you are better, you won't be. Or
at least not as good as you can be. Obviously, there are other things
involved in getting there too. But from that persepctive, yeah, I think Dr J
WAS to some degree arrogant (the original point of the thread). That's not
necessarily bad thing in certain situations/roles.

>If a person has to turn up the arrogance factor, perhaps they have other
>problems which should be dealt with.  In Rodman's case, there is quite a
>selection IMO.

Exactly, Supports what I'm saying above. And the arrogance is not the
fundamental problem with Rodman.

<snip>
-Kim 
Kim Malo
kmalo19@idt.net