"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence"
About this Quote
The second sentence is the knife twist. It refuses the feel-good version of motivational talk where positivity is a special superpower. Lombardi insists the opposite spreads with equal force, maybe more. That symmetry makes the quote useful as discipline: your doubts aren’t harmless, your cynicism isn’t “just being realistic,” your slumped shoulders aren’t neutral. They’re messaging.
Context matters: Lombardi coached in an era that mythologized toughness, clarity, and command. This is less about self-esteem than about performance under pressure - how a team behaves when the score tightens and the crowd turns. Subtext: confidence is partly theater, and the leader’s job is to stage it convincingly enough that others borrow it. The intent isn’t to deny fear; it’s to prevent fear from becoming organizational culture.
Quote Details
| Topic | Confidence |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lombardi, Vince. (2026, January 17). Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/confidence-is-contagious-so-is-lack-of-confidence-25025/
Chicago Style
Lombardi, Vince. "Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/confidence-is-contagious-so-is-lack-of-confidence-25025/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/confidence-is-contagious-so-is-lack-of-confidence-25025/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.









