Here's one volatile topic that has often sparked debates and conversations. And the truth is that the debate can go either way.

One minute, you'll see several chatters online who believe that nothing should affect our confidence because it's our confidence.

In another minute, you'll hear real-life stories of people who lose confidence because of the people around them. The truth is that our environment and the people in it can significantly affect how we see ourselves.

That's why we're often advised to pay attention to the tiniest details when selecting our friends, work environment, and even worship center. One of the most important relationships that significantly affects how we see ourselves is our friends.

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The type of friends you surround yourself with surely plays an important role in shaping your confidence level.

But how? Let's review some important points.

The Confidence Boosters vs. The Confidence Killers

Let's get right to it—your choice of friends can either boost your confidence or kill it. That's why it makes sense to always choose supportive friends over toxic ones. Supportive friends will encourage you, celebrate you, motivate you, and push you to be better.

And of course, you know how important these things are to building confidence. On the other hand, toxic friends will belittle your ideas, make fun of your dreams and subtly remind you of how you're not good enough.

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Energy is Contagious

We don't talk about how we can borrow emotions from the energy of our friends and acquaintances. You gradually become a reflection of the people you surround yourself with. That is why you'll naturally find yourself becoming more confident and ambitious when you have confident and ambitious people around you.

Their mere pursuit of becoming better people will always motivate you to pursue better. On the other hand, if you constantly move with insecure, pessimistic, and overly critical people, you'll soon have their energy rubbing off on you and how you behave.

Friends Shape Your Self-Talk

Here's another important one. Your friends are the people closest to you, and you always hear them talk. Somehow, you'll find them influencing how you talk to yourself. If your friends constantly demean you or say negative things to you, you'll soon find yourself telling yourself the same things when alone.

But if your friends constantly motivate and say good things to you, your inner dialogue will naturally become positive.

So you see? There's only one solution to all of this, which is breaking free from confidence-draining friendships. Suppose you realise that certain friendships are hurting your confidence. It may be time to let them go.

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Set boundaries, seek positive connections, and most importantly, invest in self-growth. You'll be surprised by how quickly your confidence level will rise within a short time.