February 25, 1964
The opening bell clangs at Convention Hall in Miami Beach Florida, and an intense Sonny "Big Bear" Liston emerges from his corner of the ring looking to maim, brutalize, and maybe even commit murder. An imposing figure, sports writers described Liston as an unbeatable monster, with "arms like fence posts" and "thighs like silos". Having gained notoriety for his toughness, his power, and his downright terrifying appearance, Liston climbed the ranks of the boxing world, leaving in his wake a mountainous ruin of bruised and humiliated boxing legends.
Modern boxing legend Mike Tyson lionized The Big Bear, saying "Sonny Liston made me look like a boy scout." High praise from another of boxing's most terrifying and notorious figures.
Considered an 8-1 favorite, Liston entered the fight intent on ending this bout in the same manor in which he had obtained and retained his championship title; decisively and destructively.
As if defending his championship title wasn't enough to motivate him, Liston's murderous intent was only intensified by the taunts and jeers he endured at the hands of the challenger. The aptly named "Louisville Lip" began poking "The Bear" mere moments after the fight had been announced. The morning after signing contracts to fight, the motor mouth challenger purchased a bus, scribed the words "Liston Must Go In Eight", then proceeded to drive the bus down through the quiet Denver neighborhood where Liston lived. This episode irritated Sonny Liston to no end. And when it came to the provocation, there indeed was no end:
"After the fight, I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug."
"Liston even smells like a bear."
"I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him."
"If Sonny Liston whups me, I'll kiss his feet in the ring, crawl out of the ring on my knees, tell him he's the greatest, and catch the next jet out of the country."
Normally sympathetic towards the underdog, even the public grew impatient and disaffected with the "Louisville Lip". The taunting had become so dogged and incessant, that it made the fearsome Liston into a sympathetic figure, despite having a violent past and criminal history. Many wished silently, and openly, that the monstrous Liston would keep this "sassy" figure in line.
Liston aimed to do just that. Hurtling his imposing 218 lb body towards the mouthy challenger, Sonny Liston was going to end the fight quickly, and on his terms.
Three rounds into the fight, the world watched challenger Cassius "Louisville Lip" Clay take control of the fight. An angry Liston, fuming and lunging, threw punch after punch in the early rounds, but managed to land only a few strikes on the superiorly speedy and shifty Clay.
Having driven Liston to the ropes and drawing blood (a first for Liston's career), Cassius Clay endured a thunderous beating in the closing seconds of the third round, then astonishingly returned to his corner unphased.
Turning back towards Liston, Clay shouted with astonishing confidence "You big sucka, I got you now!"
Watching the entire spectacle ringside, Sports Illustrated writer Mort Sharnik thought, "My God, Cassius Clay is winning this fight!"
Clay must have sensed this for himself, for at the end of the sixth round, he turned his attention towards the reporters and prophesied:
"I'm gonna upset the world."
At the sounding of the bell for round seven, Clay entered the middle of the ring alone. Liston would not return to the fight, giving the "Louisville Lip" the victory by technical knockout.
Staring down from the ring towards the corps of bewildered sports writers, an elated Clay spurned his detractors:
"Eat your words!" he exclaimed. "I'm the greatest! I'm the greatest!"
In the years that followed the historic Liston vs. Clay fight at Convention Hall, the world would watch the meteoric rise of Muhammad Ali, witnessing his tumultuous rise to become one of the world's most elite and iconic athletes. In a career defined by controversy and revolution, confidence might be the most endearing quality exemplified by boxing's all time greatest Heavyweight Champion.
"To succeed in life," quipped Mark Twain "you need two things: ignorance and confidence."
Confidence is an important quality we must strive for. Success and growth are amplified most when we approach life determined, poised, and tenacious. But for many, the feelings of confidence seem elusive or ephemeral. Devoid of confidence, we might find ourselves beset by chronic disappointment and heartache, keeping us in a hopeless cycle of extreme cataclysm and middling mediocrity.
Roman philosopher Seneca reinforced this unfortunate truth, explaining that "our lack of confidence is not the result of difficulty. Our difficulty comes from our lack of confidence."
Ultimately, confidence cannot be bestowed upon us by any outside force. Our mortal peers cannot award confidence. Neither can divine powers bestow it upon us. Rather, confidence is an internal force; one earned through trial, struggle, and discipline.
So, how we can go about developing confidence? We certainly don't want to struggle for the sake of struggling. Nor do we want to endure trials just for the hell of it. I for one, feel a lot better facing my struggles with a little clarity, and I must admit that this struggle has been all but clear for me.
If you're like me, you have had to wade through a lot of ambiguity, confusion, and frustration. And, if you're like me, you have likely experienced times in your life where your struggles are for naught, and your confidence levels plummet. This again begs the question: How can we build our confidence?
I think we can find some hints in Doctrine and Covenants Section 121:
45. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God...
While many scriptures allude to the importance of confidence, no other scripture formulaically explains how to actually develop confidence. This verse seems to reveal that confidence is the product of virtuous thinking and virtuous living.
Simple... Yes! But incredibly frustrating for a guy who has put in a commendably valiant (though imperfect) effort at virtuous thinking and living, but who still struggles to find solid ground in terms of confidence. Finding myself in this paradoxical predicament, I've been left alone wondering many discomforting thoughts:
Are my thoughts really virtuous?
Are my thoughts virtuous enough?
Am I actually living out a virtuous life?
Are my actions virtuous enough?
Is the formula wrong altogether?
Now, through discomfort we find growth, and perspective through pain. Through much contemplation and spiritual wrestling, I have hopefully gained a clearer understanding on this crucial connection between virtue and confidence. In the final analysis, the formula is sound, and though our own self-appraisal may not cast upon us a flattering light, I believe many of us do put forth an honest and noble effort.
So where is the disconnect?
It is in our understanding over what it means to think and live virtuously.
"Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly"
"Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God"
Imagine now, a man or woman, who has patterned their thoughts and behaviors on virtue. Not focused on just one virtue, but rather on a cadre of universally venerated virtues. Imagine, if you will, how this person lives. How do they carry themselves? How do they interact with others? In your minds eye, observe their speech, their posture, and their stature. Notice their regal demeanor and calming influence. Notice their confidence.
It is worth noting that we are promised confidence in the presence of God. This serves as a subtle reminder that we should seek actions deemed pleasing to God rather than action deemed pleasing towards man. When considering the implications of having confidence in the presence of God, it becomes apparent why this matters so much more than if we had confidence in the presence of man. To have confidence in the presence of God is to have confidence unwavering, unimpeded, and unassailable, for He is a being both omniscient and omnipresent. In contrast, to have confidence in the presence of man is to have confidence unstable, unreliable, and unprotected, for men are both fickle and their opinions fleeting.
Some might find it difficult to think of confidence in these terms. If you find yourself in this camp, please consider the following:
If you believe pleasing God to be an impossible task, consider the futility of pleasing people
If you think the consistent and clear standards of God are unattainable, try meeting the inconsistent and imprecise standards of men.
For those of us who have sought validation, praise, and approval from other imperfect beings, both in public and in private, is it any wonder why many are struggling with issues of confidence? Our strategy should be not to find confidence, rather to build confidence.
American singer and YouTuber Christina Grimmie summarized this well when she said, "Confidence is not 'They will like me'. Confidence instead is 'I'll be fine if they don't.'"
This is the mindset for those whose confidence has waxed strong through virtuous thinking and living. Not every rich man is confident. Not every beautiful woman is confident. Not every talented individual is confident. However, every truly virtuous person is a confident person.
This is the confidence exemplified by Muhammad Ali. Some might conclude that the confidence, the bravado, and the bluster demonstrated by Ali must have been a ringside work of drama; a false front for a false sense of security. I am not inclined to believe that. Many might not have respected his positions or opinions, but one cannot deny that he lived a virtuous life in many aspects.
Though imperfect, Ali demonstrated virtue beyond the ropes and outside the spotlight. Virtue guided his decisions to hold to his convictions and stand firm in his faith, even if it meant earning the scorn of the general public, sacrificing 3 years of his prime boxing career, or distancing himself from dissonant company. Muhammad Ali wasn't confident because of his talents or his accomplishments. Muhammad Ali was confident because of the virtues he espoused, which in turn honed his talents and augmented his accomplishments.
We too can enjoy these fruits of confidence, if we decide to espouse virtue and allow it to garnish our thoughts unceasingly. We would be wise not to limit ourselves to just one virtue, rather we should be open to espousing many virtues.
The Stoic Virtues
TEMPERANCE
When reflecting on the virtue of temperance, I have identified the extremes in my life. This has provided me with the confidence in my decisions over where I can cut excess and waste in my daily living.
"Very little is needed to make a happy life," spoke Marcus Aurelius, "it is all within yourself in your way of thinking."
Garnishing our thoughts with virtues like temperance will allow us to to employ patience in our trials, and delay gratification. A person whose mind is influenced by temperance might experience an increase in gratitude, and they might have more success in addressing their mental and physical health. Our confidence will increase as we become more disciplined in our pursuits and executive in our decisions.
WISDOM
When reflecting on the virtue of wisdom, I have been more deliberate in my thinking and critical of my thought patterns. I have exercised better judgement, asked for help more often, and allowed myself room to grow and understand the world around me.
In another tidbit of wisdom, Marcus Aurelius explained that "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are"
Garnishing our thoughts with virtues like wisdom will improve our abilities to discern and reflect. A person whose mind is influenced by wisdom might experience unique insight and a heightened ability to confront challenges. They can do so, because they can see these difficulties for what they really are. Our confidence will increase as we can perceive, define, and confront our difficulties in effective ways.
COURAGE
When reflecting on the virtue of courage, I have reflected more on what it means to be courageous. I have recognized that courage expressed in simple ways is as impactful as courage expressed through grandiosity.
Quoting from everyone's favorite wizard, Gandalf, "Some believe it is only great power [and I would add courage], that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."
Garnishing our thoughts with virtues like courage will compel us towards courageous action. A person whose mind is influenced by courage might experience fear and trepidation, but they know the importance of the fight in which they find themselves. They take punches when they must and throw punches when they can. Courage enables them to exist outside the comfort zone, allowing them to take action. Our feelings of confidence grow only after our actions of confidence show.
In our pursuit to think and live virtuously, we must be careful that we do not adorn our thoughts, nor model our behavior, with counterfeit virtues. Sometimes we deceive ourselves into believing that traits such as victimhood, anxiety, and naivete are in fact virtuous. Some might believe that haughtiness, foolhardiness, and combativeness are virtuous. Others will endorse extremes in the opposite; docility, apology, and conformity. These are not virtues!
Victimhood ≠ Nobleness
Harmlessness ≠ Congeniality
Weakness ≠ Meekness
Envy ≠ Ambition
Understanding this, we must exercise just discernment and wise introspection. In doing so, we might discover more vice than virtue.
There is no escaping this singular truth: Life is suffering. Life is challenging. Life is difficult. But, we get to choose our difficult. We either accept the difficulties of life made worse from our lack of confidence. Or, we must accept the difficult task of developing and maintaining our confidence through virtuous thought and action.
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