egomania

Egomania has its advantages. Maybe that's why advertising is full of it. Because of their perception of eternal flawlessness, egomaniacs have the luxury of by-passing an internal edit, the first killer of work. Also, this elevated perception can be contagious. Being so undeniably certain about your work can fool others into the same mindset. The ability to ramble about various subject matter just to hear yourself talk also projects the image that you have much to say about many things. The overwhelming amount of words coming out of the egomaniac's mouth can make it seem like their portion of actual work is equal to or greater than the hot air they dispel. A gross exaggeration of character.

But seriously, I wonder if egomania comes out on top when pitted against quiet brilliance? I've witnessed this argument in process regarding a few people. However, I can attest to the fact that I did notice it happening, so that must mean others have noticed as well. There is a distinct difference between confidence and egomania. I'm not saying we should all become argumentative assholes. It's the natural tendency of creative types to err on the side of insecurity and uncertainty, but if we are to get the best work out of ourselves and our group members we all need to be more brazen. Relinquish the certainty of your uncertainty. Believe you are right while being open to the possibility that you are not. We have all mentally kicked ourselves when we ignore our gut feeling only to find out later that it was right. If you put it all on the table you will never have to deal with that feeling again. For all the self abuse we inflict, we all need one less tool for torturing ourselves.