Ferris Bueller is Confident.. Alot

Confidence tends to be a trait that people strive for, but there's always a fear about whether or not we can measure up to the task. It's a common problem people face because they can sometimes feel like everyone else around them is much more confident than they will ever be. Ferris Bueller is one of those people—

Is he bright? Yes, but not the brightest. 

Is he smart? Sure, but not the smartest.

But is he confident? Absolutely, he is.

In the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the titular character knows how to trick his family and principal to ensure that he can spend a day for himself. Now, why does that seem so blasphemous? After all, Ferris can just wait until the weekend comes by, but it's the art of getting away with it that entertains him to no end — Things like joining a parade, visiting a museum, having lunch with a rich friend, or jumping into a random swimming pool — When society has roles, some people wish to break them to scratch an itch that can momentarily satisfy them. And whether this makes Ferris a bad person or not, you can tell that his confidence always shapes him.

To me, confidence is about recognizing our value. It's the act of knowing that being worthy means being comfortable with yourself.

We can see this lack of confidence in Cameron, a character who's unaware of the amount of oppression he's faced and how to deal with it. But it's Ferris who decides to give him a way out, without thinking about the rules and regulations of the status quo. And confidence can only happen when you allow yourself to gather up that full potential of yours and make it take center stage. As American philosopher and psychologist William James mentioned: “Most people live in a restricted circle of potential.”

Research in confidence suggests that core beliefs create the primary distinction between the decisions we make and don’t make. And it's often the case that rebellion can occur in schools, where failure or absence is sometimes necessary to get away from a meaningless history lesson. And I think what is most common is the reality I face when entering school or the workforce. And for far too long, those environments don't recognize and appreciate the value we would like to offer. And Ferris knows this to his core, often concluding that, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, and you might miss it."

A lot of us can feel like confidence is unachievable because it’s natural, but that is quite the contrary. Our brains are designed to rewire and restructure the beliefs we hold in our day-to-day lives through a process called cognitive reappraisal. It's a process where, physiologically, it may be harder to process the anxiety you may be feeling, but cognitively, you can change the narrative in your brain.

So, for instance, let's say you're terrified of public speaking. Instead of saying, "I'm terrified of speaking to a group of people," you can say, "I'm excited to share with these groups of people."

Now take Ferris. Instead of believing that he has nothing to give, he gives himself an experience he will never forget. Now, whether it's the right or wrong approach is up for debate, but I think it's quite admirable to know exactly what you want at an early age without hurting people.

When you accept the momentary, fleeting nature of life, that presence can turn into gratitude, which can later coalesce into confidence. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a unique exploration of how we can embark on an adventure as small as a single day's absence and make life feel present. And the confidence we can have in times of difficult judgment can be a problem to bear. However, these moments must be met with an intention to grow, learn, and make the most out of our days as we keep living them.