Events | Number 5, June 2004 | Role of Self-Confidence in National Economy

Role of Self-Confidence in
National Economy

Dr A M Goodarzi,
Human Resources Director at IDRO

Self-confidence is not just a psychological advantage but a national merit that brings the nation prosperity. A manager who is well-dressed, well-behaved, who speaks pleasantly and is knowledgeable will certainly make a more successful negotiator. Such a person will normally have greater self-confidence, be sure of himself or herself and in control of all that goes on around him or her.

In our country self-confidence is unfortunately quite low and this is perhaps because of instability in the society: political instability, economic instability and social instability. Throughout history our country has been overrun by foreign forces, its people have been treated harshly, degraded and humiliated. Iranians as a nation lack a shared vision that is so necessary for social, economic and political development and maturity. We must have a shared vision, a common desire to succeed. Our managers do not work according to well-defined strategies but haphazardly, “as it comes” so to say. But management is a serious matter: it is at the same time a skill, a knowledge and even an art.

We Iranians are in a gloomy situation today: we do not have faith in ourselves; we are not happy with what we do; we have almost lost hope. But losing hope is the worst thing that can happen to a person. We must never lose hope, never be gloomy, never grumble and moan. Today we must be happy as a nation because a GDP growth of 6-8%, rapidly growing industries, and a very large population of young and highly educated people… mean a bright future ahead.

We must note that a better economy means better health, better education, and better standards of living in general.

Economic issues make up an important part of any society. Where there is high inflation, the gap between the rich and the poor widens. A few people get very rich and a vast majority very poor. In such a society there is more crime: more thefts, murders, felonies… Where there is a high standard of living and comfort for all, there is far more sincerity and truthfulness among the people, far greater trust. Life is longer and more enjoyable.
To me, Western civilization means Athens, means Socrates and Plato… All that the West has, comes from there and it was with this tool that Americans built the strongest nation within 200 years. It was with this civilization that America created its democracy and its highly efficient state system.

Not that Iranians lack the basis for an excellent civilization and a perfect society. All one needs to do is to read about Cyrus the Great and how he treated his people and even his enemies; reed the writings and poems of Sadi, the lyrics of Hafez… read the Holy Koran with its repeated references to pity, compassion, forgiveness, magnanimity, generosity…

We Iranians have no choice but to catch up with the advanced world very rapidly and we can only do this by first looking after our health, which is very important. A sick person cannot be happy, and without happiness no one can work hard, and without hard work no progress would be possible. Next, we have to be sincere with one another and think commonly as a nation, collectively as one people. Then, all that remains to be done is hard work.