Self Efficacy and Why Believing in Yourself Matters: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-efficacy-2795954Links to an external site.

Building Self-Confidence as an Entrepreneur: 7 Tried-and-True Tips: https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/building-self-confidence-as-an-entrepreneur-7-tried-and-true-tips.htmlLinks to an external site.

 

1. Describe self-efficacy in your own words.

2. What is the difference between high and low self-efficacy?

3. What are the four major sources of self-efficacy? Explain them.

4. What are two strategies to build self-efficacy?

5. What are the seven strategies that an entrepreneur can use to build their self-confidence?

6. How does your Super-Hero demonstrate self-efficacy in their entrepreneurial journey?

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Self-Efficacy Explained

  1. Self-efficacy is basically your belief in your own ability to achieve things. It’s the confidence you have that you can master a skill, overcome challenges, and reach your goals. It’s not just about arrogance or feeling like you’re the best, but rather a trust in your own capabilities to learn, adapt, and succeed.

  2. The difference between high and low self-efficacy lies in how you approach challenges. With high self-efficacy, you see difficulties as opportunities to learn and grow. You believe you can solve problems and find solutions. Conversely, with low self-efficacy, challenges seem insurmountable. You might doubt your abilities, give up easily, or avoid situations that test your skills.

Self-Efficacy Explained

  1. Self-efficacy is basically your belief in your own ability to achieve things. It’s the confidence you have that you can master a skill, overcome challenges, and reach your goals. It’s not just about arrogance or feeling like you’re the best, but rather a trust in your own capabilities to learn, adapt, and succeed.

  2. The difference between high and low self-efficacy lies in how you approach challenges. With high self-efficacy, you see difficulties as opportunities to learn and grow. You believe you can solve problems and find solutions. Conversely, with low self-efficacy, challenges seem insurmountable. You might doubt your abilities, give up easily, or avoid situations that test your skills.

  • There are four main sources of self-efficacy:

    • Mastery Experiences: Achieving success in the past builds confidence in your ability to handle similar situations in the future. The more you accomplish, the more you believe you can achieve.
    • Vicarious Experiences: Observing others succeed at something similar can boost your belief that you can too. Seeing people you admire overcome challenges can be very motivating.
    • Social Persuasion: Positive encouragement and praise from others can build your confidence. Believing in you can be contagious – when people believe you can do it, you start to believe it too.
    • Physiological States: Your physical and emotional state can impact your self-efficacy. Feeling stressed or anxious can make you doubt your abilities, while feeling good can make you feel more capable.
  • Here are two strategies to build self-efficacy:

    • Set Achievable Goals: Break down large goals into smaller, manageable steps. Achieving these smaller goals builds a sense of accomplishment and boosts your confidence in tackling bigger challenges.
    • Focus on Your Progress: Track your progress and celebrate your accomplishments. Recognizing how far you’ve come motivates you to keep going and reinforces your belief in your abilities.
  • Seven strategies for entrepreneurs to build self-confidence:

    • Develop a Strong Vision: Having a clear vision for your business gives you direction and purpose. It fuels your passion and motivates you to overcome obstacles.
    • Learn from Failures: Everyone makes mistakes. View setbacks as learning experiences and opportunities to improve. Don’t let failures define you.
    • Develop a Growth Mindset: Believe that your skills and abilities can be developed through effort and learning. Embrace challenges as opportunities to grow.
    • Seek Mentorship: Find a mentor who can offer guidance, support, and encouragement. Their experience and belief in you can be invaluable.
    • Network with Successful Entrepreneurs: Surround yourself with positive and inspiring people who can share their experiences and successes.
    • Celebrate Your Victories: Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments, both big and small. Celebrating your successes reinforces your self-belief.
    • Focus on Your Strengths: Identify your strengths and talents, and focus on leveraging them in your business. This helps you stay confident and motivated.
  • Unfortunately, I don’t have personal experiences or a superhero persona. However, many fictional superheroes demonstrate high self-efficacy. For example, Captain America may not have superpowers, but his unwavering belief in himself and his unwavering determination to fight for what’s right exemplifies self-efficacy. Despite facing impossible odds, he inspires others with his confidence and leadership.

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