How to Be Confident Even If You're Socially Awkward | Vanessa Van Edwards

What if confidence isn't something you're born with, but something you can learn? Vanessa Van Edwards once struggled with loneliness, awkward conversations, and the fear that other people didn't like her. She didn't know how to make friends, often misunderstood people's expressions, and believed charisma came naturally to everyone else. Then she discovered something that changed the way she approached human connection: confidence and social skills can be learned. In this powerful conversation with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO, behavioral researcher and bestselling author Vanessa Van Edwards shares her personal journey from social awkwardness to understanding the science of communication, confidence, charisma, and meaningful relationships. She explains why even intelligent, successful people struggle socially, how fear of judgment shapes our behavior, and why trying too hard to impress others can actually make connection more difficult. You don't have to become a different person to become more confident. You can learn how to communicate while remaining yourself. In this video, discover: - Why intelligent people sometimes struggle with social confidence - How Vanessa overcame loneliness and awkward conversations - Why you might assume other people dislike you - How to stop trying so hard to impress everyone - Why genuine interest in others makes you more likable - How warmth and competence influence first impressions - Simple body-language cues that can improve communication - Why asking better questions creates stronger connections - How small changes can gradually build real confidence - Why you should stop competing in environments where you cannot be yourself One of Vanessa's most important lessons is that confidence doesn't appear overnight. It grows through small experiences. A better question. A meaningful conversation. A moment of courage. A willingness to try something different. If you've ever felt socially awkward, misunderstood, overlooked, or afraid of being judged, this conversation offers a different way to think about yourself. You don't need to be the loudest person in the room. You don't need to pretend to be an extrovert. And you don't need everyone to like you. You need to discover your strengths, learn to communicate them, and find the people who appreciate who you really are. Your next conversation could be the beginning of something different. Watch until the end. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 Listen. Reflect. Apply. Subscribe to Inspire With Selva for more powerful motivational speeches, life lessons, self-improvement, and mindset content. This video has been edited and structured around key lessons from the conversation for motivational and educational presentation. Special Thanks (Credits): Steven Bartlett - / https://youtube.com/@TheDiaryOfACEO?si=L4gbZ3wpt5balQ2O Vanessa Van Edwards - / https://youtube.com/@Vvanedwards?si=CyKleNj-cGUaX4Y3 Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCulCqA5r38tV2dNrF0mtCuw/join If you're on Instagram, follow the page: https://www.instagram.com/inspirewithselva/ Fair Use Disclaimer: Copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. 1) This video has no negative impact on the original works 2) This video is also for teaching purposes 3) It is transformative in nature 4) I only used bits and pieces of the video to make a point where necessary If you are the copyright holder and have concerns about usage, please email: [email protected] #VanessaVanEdwards #selfconfidence #personalgrowth