Self-Ignorance In Bossypants

Roots. Commonly associated with stability and strength as they are the foundation of everything. Trees have roots and leaves. One has roots and heritage. But at the root of confidence is insecurity and distrust. For it is from these roots that one develops self-assurance as they discover the importance of conventionally “unconventional” ideas of confidence. Throughout Bossypants, Fey uses her own experiences of self-discovery from her youth and work life to stress that the confidence rooted within yourself is essential in achieving the most positive outcome in a stressful or unfamiliar situation.
During what would normally be considered an exhausting photoshoot, Tina Fey convinces herself- that she is indeed absolutely stunning - in order obtain

She begins by offering that one, “Start with a YES and see where that takes you” (Fey 84). While it may seem so, Fey is not encouraging passivity; rather she is inspiring one to grow the tenacity to believe in both oneself and others. For confidence is not simply about believing in yourself, but also believing in the abilities of those around you. When improvising one has to trust that the other(s) is capable of producing an engaging response. Furthermore, having confidence in others often leads to additional confidence in themselves. Should both parties fail to believe in each other the “improvised scene [would] ground to a halt” (Fey 84). So it is, with confidence. When working together, lack of confidence in other members leads to hurt feelings and a team that develops lack of communication. Not communicating robs all parties of the opportunity to create the finest result: be it a scene, a presentation or a product of television. Though not directly following the first rule, “The next rule is MAKE STATEMENTS. [...] Speak in statements instead of apologetic questions” (Fey 85). Fey claims that no one would desire to be seen by a doctor who speaks unsurely of him or herself. What this insinuates is that the way a doctor expresses their confidence affects the confidence that others immediately entrust in him/her. This is true not only for

Without confidence one is left “lacking.” Lacking the chances they had to reach their full potential as fear degraded the full exertion of their effort. Lacking the comfort of being truly happy with oneself the way they are. Lacking the ability to produce the results one could have, had they simply instilled confidence onto their team. Confidence is not something that you can lack, as it is pulled from within yourself. It need not be drawn from others, for that would be looking for validation, and not everyone can be pleased. That being said, one could argue that Fey sees confidence as not something to grow but something to draw upon, something that is always there, but sometimes buried. Do not let your confidence be buried. Do not “lack” and reminisce of what could have been.