Confidence radiates through me.

People read this off pace more than content. The unhurried half-second before answering. Not rushing to fill a silence somebody else left. Walking into a room at the same speed you walked down the corridor.

None of that requires feeling certain. They're physical habits, practisable on days you feel like an impostor, and they work anyway — which says something uncomfortable and useful about how this actually circulates between people.

Nothing is being manufactured. Something is being allowed to pass without getting snagged on the urge to apologise for taking up the time.