Reading the responses above I see a common theme - most people are humble, somewhat reluctant to toot their own horn. Which is a good thing most of the time. But then consider people like Mohammed Ali, Ted Williams, and Usain Bolt - arguably some of the best ever at their particular craft and they weren't shy about letting people know it. And if you can back it up, why not stake a claim to being the best - until someone knocks the crown off your head? Then you have people like Mikaela Shifrin, the skier, has more wins on the professional tour than anyone in history. She gets so nervous and stressed before races she pukes - but she has to know she can beat anyone else on the slope 99% of the time.
And the other thought I had was what defines "good"? I've made some pretty cool table lamps that I think would easily compete for notice in a custom wood shop, but they took me forever and with several ruined pieces of wood and re-does of pieces, etc. So I don't consider those a standard that justifies the title of being a good wood worker. Now I do consider myself a good fly tier. I can tie just about any fly someone asks for and if someone shows me a new fly I can tie it or tell someone how to tie it. And my flies are all proportioned precisely, made with good materials, and won't fall apart. The same goes for fly casting. Put me and 99 other casters out on a target course and I'll be in the top 5 (at least I'm pretty sure I would be). So is having the confidence in one's ability a measure of being "good"? Or do you have to be "better" than the majority of people at that skill? And at the same time there is always someone better or who will be soon.
One nice thing about wood working is it isn't a competition (yet). And any time someone turns something into a competition it pretty much ruins it.
