I have come up with four types of people:

1. Those who are humble and have a lot to be humble about

2. Those who are confident and have a lot to be confident about

3. Those who are confident and have nothing to be confident about

4. Those who are humble and have nothing to be humble about

The 3rd type seems to me the one that perhaps most of us tend to loathe. They are the empty vessels making the most noise. You probably get fooled by their veneer of confidence initially, because they strut around as if they have earned it, but over time their façade wears off. By then they have faked it till they have made it. Which is why you sometimes find them in senior positions. What I dislike most about them is their lack of self-awareness. They genuinely do not see how hollow they are.

The 4th type is the one that perhaps most of us admire. They seem to be oblivious to their own brilliance and that makes them all the more charming. Their higher qualities do not intimidate you because they seem to have this air of being an equal with you, whoever you are. I have met very, very few people of this type and I feel lucky to have met them. No matter how much I try to emulate them I can't - I think you need to be made of better stuff.

The first and second types I think people are more divided about.

I don't mind the 1st type because they have what I really like in people. Self-awareness. They seem to have a good estimation of themselves and in their humility might actually give less credit to themselves than they deserve. It warms me even more towards them. Their conscientiousness.

The 2nd type I think gets a bad rep. Some people mistake confidence for conceit and that goes against these types. Unlike the humble brilliant types, this type might have a tendency to intimidate people. Instead of making you feel like an equal and comfortable in your own skin, they might trigger your insecurities. No one likes to feel like they do not measure up to a standard. I personally do not mind this type because again they are self-aware. They are not empty like the 3rd type. If you get past the intimidation and are not the 3rd type yourself, there is scope for learning if not a connection.