Is "selbstbewusst" a negative word?

Question

Sometimes I see translations of *selbstbewusst* as *confident*, *arrogant* or *selfish*. I would like to know if this word has a negative or positive denotation. If I call someone of *selbstbewusst*, is it a compliment or not?

Answer 1

"Selbstbewußt" means "confident" and is a positive word unless someone is described as "über alle maßen selbstbewußt" or "viel zu selbstbewußt", i.e. "overly confident" or "much too confident". I do not know in which context this word would ever mean "arrogant" or "selfish". Therefore, if you tell someone that he or she is "selbstbewußt", this has a positive connotation.