Confidence

There's an argument being made that because the Republican party is more cutthroat and unwilling to compromise, they're becoming more effective then the Democrats. It seems that being rational and aware that you don't know everything can compromise your ability to deal with ignorant and obstinate forces.

I've had a similar opinion of myself for a long time -- I sometimes allow others to momentarily intimidate me, not through solid reasoning or superior arguments, but rather by the sheer force of bluster and noise. I'm getting better at recognizing this, and to some extent, losing some of my reluctance to call people idiotic to their face. The problem is, I'm always slightly unsure about things, which is good most of the time because it makes me reexamine situations, but is a weakness when I need mindless confidence.