The right dose of self-confidence is often a coveted quality. People who are self-confident are more willing to communicate their needs, market their accomplishments during a job search, and self-advocate.

However, NOT everyone is EQUALLY able to develop self-confidence. 1/
You may be thinking, "but isn't self-confidence a skill that can grow based on discipline and practice?"

Yes, but some people have to work harder than others.

Read ahead for a list of contexts that can disadvantage people from developing self-confidence:

2/
1. #Mentalhealth struggle

I know first-hand that #depression is a disease that fills your head with negative thoughts and destroys your #selfworth.

Depression does NOT go away with discipline, but rather medical treatment with its financial burdens and emotional drainage. 3/
2. Racial and gender inequality

We cannot ignore that discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and more is rampant in our society.

When developing self-confidence, individuals in marginalized groups have the extra burden of facing systems that actively tear them down. 4/
2 (cont.) @christineliuart wrote a great article about how #impostersyndrome cloaks systemic racism and sexism in #academia.

Check it out below:

5/ https://twitter.com/christineliuart/status/1276576059228487680
3. Abusive environments

Emotional support and positive reinforcement help build self-confidence. However, people can find themselves with abusive households/partners/friends/etc. beyond their control. Overcoming abuse is another HUGE obstacle when building self-confidence. 6/
Instead of dismissing people who lack self-confidence, we need to EMPOWER them, and TAKE ACTION against the systems that foster inequality. 7/

#AcademicTwitter #AcademicMentalHealth @PhD_Balance @AcademicChatter @OpenAcademics
Fighting for inclusive environments isn't just filling a diversity quota, but telling EVERYONE that they MATTER and BELONG HERE. 8/8

#AcademicTwitter #AcademicMentalHealth @PhD_Balance @AcademicChatter @OpenAcademics
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