Ignorance, Confidence, and the Audacity to Begin
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Steven Pressfield’s quote from Do the Work resonates with anyone who has ever dared to launch a new project, build a business, or create a masterpiece from scratch.
Ignorance and arrogance are the artist and entrepreneur’s indispensable allies. She must be clueless enough to have no idea how difficult her enterprise is going to be-and cocky enough to believe she can pull it off anyway. ~ Steven Pressfield
To the untrained ear, the words ignorance and arrogance might sound like traits to avoid. Society tends to paint ignorance as the enemy of progress and arrogance as the sibling of hubris. Yet in the world of art and entrepreneurship, these qualities—when balanced—become unlikely but powerful allies.
Ignorance: The Bliss of Starting
Think back to a time when you started something new. Maybe it was launching a business, pursuing a degree, or taking on a passion project that had lived in your mind for years. Do you remember the feeling of excitement before the reality of the challenges set in? That blissful period is fueled by ignorance, and that’s a good thing. Why? Because if you truly understood the depth of obstacles and the sleepless nights ahead, you might never have begun at all.
This is why I say you need to love what you do. Not because the money always follows, but simply because you will need to stay committed when it gets hard.
Ignorance, in this context, isn’t about being uninformed or careless; it’s about stepping forward not yet knowing the full weight of what lies ahead. It’s the freedom that allows you to take that crucial first step without the burden of anticipating every pitfall. Without it, many of the world’s most significant innovations and works of art would remain locked in the confines of someone’s mind.
Ignorance is Bliss
As they say, ignorance is bliss. If I had known that starting a business would leave me homeless and in bankruptcy court—I might never have started down that path. Ignorance, paradoxically, became the reason I moved forward, letting this adventure unfold piece by piece.
When I was first out of college, I worked as an adventure trip guide, and then, when the season was over, I got a job at a local doctor’s office. My plan was to eventually go to grad school and probably stay in academia as a professor or writer. The vision of “coaching” hadn’t even entered my mind at that point.
I was just scraping by. So when I had the opportunity to apply for a Fortune 100 job with a much bigger salary, I went for it. The job requirements were:
- A science degree such as biochemistry. (I didn’t have that. My undergrad was in Theology.)
- 3-5 years experience in the industry. (I obviously didn’t have that either.)
But I was too naive back then to know that you’re not “supposed” to apply to jobs for which you don’t fit the qualifications. I got the job. And that, through the roundabout way in which life directs us where we need to be, is how I eventually chose to become a life coach.
Lesson: Don’t count yourself out before you even start.
Arrogance: The Bold Belief
I personally might change “arrogance” to “confidence,” but to Pressfield’s point, arrogance gets a bad rap. We’re taught from a young age to be humble and to know our place. While there is wisdom in humility, it’s only part of the picture. Arrogance, when channeled constructively, fuels an inner belief that whispers: Yes, you can do this! Even if others doubt you. Even if you’re doubting yourself.
What we’re talking about here isn’t boasting or belittling others. It’s about holding faith in yourself and your vision, especially when you have no external evidence to justify it. It’s the spark that lets you say, “I’m the one to write this book or build this business,” even when no one else has given you permission to believe it. Without this kind of belief, entrepreneurs wouldn’t invest their life savings into startups that may fail. Writers wouldn’t bare their souls to produce work that could be rejected by critics and audiences alike.
I remember when I decided to teach my first online course. The doubt was strong! Why would anyone listen to me? What if the program bombed? But just a sliver of audacious belief remained steady amidst an ocean of uncertainty. And that was enough. The conviction to just go for it became my fuel when the hours grew long and the doubts got louder.
The Balance: Knowing When to Lean In
The key here is to understand when to leverage these allies and when to temper them. Ignorance pushes you to start; arrogance keeps you moving forward when the odds feel insurmountable. But as your journey unfolds, experience and humility join you on the path. Experience replaces ignorance, informing your choices with learned wisdom. Humility tempers arrogance, reminding you that progress requires keeping an open mind and the willingness to learn from failure.
Should you find yourself on the cusp of a new venture or artistic pursuit, remember that a little ignorance can free you from the paralysis of overthinking, and a touch of arrogance can fuel the self-belief needed to get started.
In the end, the real magic lies in starting before you’re ready and daring to believe in your success before the world gives you a reason to.
