One of the most consistent signals in professional life is volume.

People who are secure in their work tend to be measured. They don’t feel compelled to announce who is “replaceable,” who is “overpaid,” or whose contributions no longer matter. Their confidence doesn’t require a comparison.

Insecurity, on the other hand, is often loud.

It shows up as unsolicited disparagement.

As sweeping judgments about work one hasn’t done.

As certainty untempered by experience.

This kind of behavior isn’t rooted in strength. It’s rooted in anxiety—about relevance, about standing, about whether one’s own work will hold up over time.

What’s telling is that insecurity almost never points inward. It projects outward. Rather than building something durable, it tries to erode what already exists.

The irony is that this approach never works. Credibility isn’t gained by diminishing others. It’s earned quietly, over time, through competence and conduct.

Volume draws attention.

Substance earns respect.

And the difference between the two becomes clearer the longer you stay in the work.