"I'm Right, Period!" Why Is Overconfidence Dangerous? - Society

2023 Author: Oswald Adamson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 12:13

The more life experience and knowledge a person gets, the more he realizes that his knowledge is meager. Alas, it works the other way around: people with a rather narrow and motionless mindset are absolutely confident in their competence in any issues and strive to actively transfer their "experience" to others. In psychology, this cognitive distortion is called the Dunning-Kruger effect. How can self-confidence be dangerous?

The Dunning-Krueger effect is a cognitive distortion, which means that people with a low skill level make erroneous conclusions, make bad decisions, and at the same time are unable to realize their mistakes due to their low skill level. This leads to the emergence of overestimated ideas about their own abilities, while really highly qualified people, on the contrary, tend to underestimate their abilities and suffer from insufficient self-confidence, considering others to be more competent. Thus, less competent people generally have a higher opinion of their own abilities than is characteristic of people who are competent (who also tend to assume that others evaluate their abilities as low as they do).

We have to admit that sometimes excessive self-confidence can do a good job. But here it is most likely a matter of luck, but the price for self-confidence has to be a kind of escape from reality. It's hard to tell the difference between adequate confidence and self-confidence. But you should always analyze your own capabilities, draw conclusions after failures and try to adequately evaluate yourself.

Overconfidence differs from confidence as follows:

1. Confidence always has a foundation. Knowledge is built on clear facts. Self-confidence has neither foundation nor facts. Overconfidence can appear as a defense mechanism due to belief in something, but there is no evidence here.
2. Overconfidence transcends boundaries. A self-confident person is able to greatly offend the interlocutor without noticing it.
3. Overconfidence is cruel and unfair. A self-confident person is guided by the principle that the best defense is offense. Confidence is always calm and benevolent.
4. Self-confidence hides indecision and fear. What is built in air can dissolve in it. Demonstrable confidence is not going anywhere.
5. Overconfidence doesn't notice mistakes. The self-confident does first, then thinks.
6. Overconfidence is put on display and requires constant proof. Confidence loves silence.
7. Self-confidence is about "I want." Confidence is "I can"

Excessive self-confidence in the most direct way interferes with self-development and meaningful thinking. Without correcting his own mistakes, a self-confident person makes new ones, accumulating a circle of failures. Which he justifies by external reasons: the incompetence of his environment, any assumptions that supposedly have nothing to do with him.

I know that I know nothing.

Socrates

Overconfidence mingles with recklessness and is a particularly dangerous cocktail in health and financial situations. Imaginary confidence in complete security entails the possibility of fatal errors.

Dealing with a self-confident person can, unfortunately, be very toxic. What if you have to constantly be in such communication?

How to communicate with a self-confident

• Do not conflict and do not react to provocations. The best answer is yes, thank you. There is no need to argue and give irrefutable facts that the interlocutor is wrong. Thus, you perfectly "mirror" it and begin to play by its rules.
• Do not respond to rudeness and rudeness in the same way. Try to leave calmly, you don't have to listen to all this.
• Remain courteous. Even when you want to get angry. A person with imaginary confidence looks at you and your beliefs exclusively through the prism of self-righteousness. You cannot explain to him that there are other opinions.

All the attention of a person with excessive self-confidence is focused on the possible mistakes of others. He needs to constantly confirm his own invented status and believe that he is head and shoulders above everyone else. This is best done when others begin to react negatively to his behavior.

The logical chain is simple: they are angry with me, so I am right. Therefore, it is very important to suppress all provocative moments and remain calm

Am I cocky?

It happens that when thinking about your own mistakes and failures, you come to the unpleasant conclusion that you were overly self-confident. Of course, you need to analyze this and correct your further behavior.

• Be gentle with others. Conflict is not the best way to communicate.
• Everyone is entitled to their point of view. This does not mean that yours is wrong.
• Moving away from reality, not relying on facts, you can seriously harm yourself and your loved ones.
• Health is the most important thing you have. Be attentive to yourself, it is better to know clearly than to assume confidently.
• Listen to healthy, constructive criticism. Of course, it may not always be justified, but you need a calm opinion of a loved one.
• The main thing is not the dazzling impression that you can make, but your real actions.

Emotional contact with people around you is extremely important when communicating. Imaginary confidence can make a person callous, deprive him of the ability to empathy and gradually destroy his social ties. The way to avoid this is to know and accept yourself, your desires, your capabilities and a delicate, respectful attitude towards others.