What is the difference between cocky and confidence. Saying the words, "I am going to win" can come off as both cocky and confidence to any person.
In my perspective, if you win, you were "confident" and if you lose after saying that, you would be considered "cocky." Are there or can there be more objective differentiating factors other than winning?
According to dictionary.com, confidence is strong belief in one-self. When using dictionary.com for cocky, it is simply arrogant. Using google and looking up arrogant, it is defined as "having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities." So if by winning, would it not be considered over-exaggerating your abilities and therefore be considered confidence as he believed in himself?
Best Answer
All cocky people are confident, but not all confident people are cocky. Cocky adds to confident an aura of arrogant superiority.
If I say, "I'm quite sure this answer is correct," then I'm being confident.
If I add, "No one is going to be able to write a better answer than this one," then I'm being cocky.
I think your example (which discusses winners and losers) is a bit contrived. Just because a player is confident she can win doesn't make her cocky if she doesn't. Cocky is tied more to the attitude than to the result.