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The Why Factor: Confidence: Why it misleads us

Why Do We Admire Confidence?

20/05/2019 GMT

Confidence: Why it misleads us

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Confidence: Why it misleads us

There is little overlap between how good people think they are and how good they are

People ask us to put our confidence in them; but there is very little overlap between competence and confidence. In this Why Factor Michael Blastland asks:  is confidence a con?

From doctors to politicians to your boss, people often ask us to put our confidence in them. We’re often urged to build more confidence in ourselves. But one of the most consistent findings in psychology is that there is very little overlap between confidence and competence; how good people think they are, and how good they really are. In this edition of the Why Factor, Michael Blastland asks: why do admire confidence?

Contributors
Ed O’Brien - Associate Professor of Behaviour Science, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Maria Konnikova, Psychologist and Author: The Confidence Game
Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Psychologist and Author: Confidence, The Surprising Truth About How Much You Need and How To Get It.
Glen Fukushima -Senior Fellow, Center For American Progress 
Dr Anne McGuinness – University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust


Photo Credit: Multiple exposure of businesswoman arms crossed / Getty Images

Film Credit: The Great Imposter Trailer 1960 / Universal Studios Home Entertainment / Director Robert Mulligan

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