Confidence is a wonderful trait to have. However, too much of it can make one’s head swell. While this might sound similar to a verse from a didactic children’s book, it’s true. Overconfidence causes people to overestimate their abilities and knowledge, which are often far from reality. And we know there are few things that netizens like to do more than ridicule these instances online.
So we gathered a whole list of them, courtesy of Confidently Incorrect subreddit. Scroll down to find the most hilarious times cocky people got things totally wrong, and be sure to upvote the ones that deservingly got torn apart by the overconfidence police.
While you're at it, don't forget to check out a conversation with visibility and confidence coach and founder of ubu skills, Megan Hamilton, who kindly agreed to tell us all about confidence and its excess.
This post may include affiliate links.
So… I Guess There Are No Real Tests For Any Illnesses At All?
When talking about overconfidence, we should probably first define its predecessor, confidence.
"Confidence is a byproduct of a combination of knowing who you are, self-efficacy, courage, and effort. It's the understanding that you are in fact good at what you're attempting to do," explains visibility and confidence coach and founder of ubu skills, Megan Hamilton.
"So, can somebody become too confident? I'd say no—it can't be qualified that way. However, can somebody be exuding confidence when it hasn't been earned? Absolutely. This shows up a lot in politics, for example. But I'd call that bravado, which means it's a performance, instead of exuding an earned state of being."
Betty Has No Mrna
Oh My Sweet Summer Child
I...literally just died. That statement killed me. Oh, look, I'm in the afterlife now! Zeus, is that you?
Many behaviors of humans have been observed, investigated and named, and overconfidence is no exception. People who think a little too highly of themselves are known to experience overconfidence bias.
"Overconfidence bias occurs when individuals overestimate their abilities, knowledge, or control over situations," explains Dr. Ozan Toy, MD, MPH.
Apparently Dough Doesn't Rise
He's One-Sixteenth Irish
The Holy Trinity Of Trying To Teach Someone What Prefixes Are
A great example of this most of us can relate to is students overestimating how quickly they can finish an assignment. After realizing the task takes longer than expected, they are, unfortunately, forced to pull an all-nighter.
Or when we set other overly ambitious goals, like promising to work out and eat healthy every day without excuses. The motivation instantly plummets to zero after it becomes clear that such perfection may be impossible to achieve. This is overconfidence bias in action for you.
He Really Said That With His Whole Chest
Well I've often campaigned to unite North and South Dakota into a single Dakota. Why do we need two? Not like anyone important lives there. Sarcasm if it didn't come across properly.
You Are Parents Failed You?
Someone Skipped Biology
Soooo, the T-Rex was a vegetarian? That really makes Jurassic Park less exciting.
Such beliefs occur due to cognitive biases, which are patterns of thinking that interpret reality subjectively rather than relying on facts and rational judgment. It affects how we process information and make decisions, resulting in flawed reasoning, like overestimating knowledge and abilities.
Psychologist Dillon Harper, PhD, also suggests that overconfidence is our brain’s attempt at boosting our self-esteem and reducing anxiety. By minimizing or ignoring our failures and focusing on past successes, it makes us more relaxed and sure of ourselves.
On A Flat-Earth Post
Georgia
Tiktok Kids These Days
It very much is not. I'm ADHD not autistic. But my ADHD makes me sympathetic to other ND people.
Our brain’s tendency to convince us that we are better than we actually are can be boosted by our lack of experience, as we don’t have enough knowledge to accurately evaluate our abilities. Another factor that plays a part in this is our upbringing.
"Overconfidence bias is often the result of what we call ‘false empowerment’ in childhood," says licensed marriage and family therapist Renée Zavislak. "Parents who consistently tell their children things like, 'You're the best' and 'You are good at everything you do' rather than true, realistic compliments like, 'Yours is my favorite' and 'I am proud of you,' tend to foster the development of an overconfidence bias."
5am Is 5am
Hamilton agrees that overconfidence can be learned from the behaviors of others and even obtained by privilege.
"An example of this might be somebody who is not a medical doctor diagnosing somebody else with a medical condition because they feel that they are knowledgeable on the topic—possibly because they have the same condition or because they're somewhat familiar with it. But if "they don't know what they don't know," there could be myriad other symptoms or outcomes they aren't aware of, leading to a misdiagnosis. The impact can be disastrous," she warns.
Is This Really What Americans Are Like?
Stay In School, Kids
Due to these factors, many people have excessive faith in themselves. Research shows that 73% of U.S. drivers believe to be better than average, which is statistically impossible. A study with spelling tasks found participants to be 100% sure of their answers but 80% of them were actually right.
Additionally, a whopping 65% of Americans think they’re smarter than average, with the figure being even higher when it comes to men. These are just a few examples proving that no one is safe from experiencing overconfidence bias, just like these people on this list.
Physical Isn’t Actually Assault
I didn't assault them. I merely sprayed pepper spray in their general direction! I are perfectly innocent.
I Don’t Think That’s How It Works
That feeling when you suddenly realize you weren't born...
Paycheck/Paycheque
I've seen some serious fights get started here on BP comments over the "correct" spelling of things like cheque/check, etc. XD There's people on both sides of the pond (so to speak) who insist that their way is the only "correct" way to spell x word.
Thinking highly of ourselves can affect our daily behaviors and decisions. "When we overestimate our abilities, it's like walking a tightrope with a blindfold. We’re more likely to take unnecessary risks, ignore important feedback, or skip preparation because we think we’ve got it all under control," Dr. Harper says.
"When things don't go as planned, the fall from that high can be harsh, leading to disappointment and a hit to our self-esteem."
It can also negatively impact relationships, as few people like overconfidence that leans towards arrogance.
Just… No
A pretty good sign the speaker/poster doesn't actually think, they just repeat unsupported belief
It's so embarrassing. Can I apologize for my country? Does it count?
That's because some Americans want the entire world to know how stupid they are and where they live.
We do have our share of uneducated individuals, as does every country, so please don't think we are all a complete waste of space.
If the wound can freely bleed it is highly unlikely you will develop tetanus. Clostridium tetani is quite common but it needs an anaerobic environment to thrive. That is why it is more commonly associated with puncture wounds like stepping on a nail. Nail goes in, leaves some CT bacteria and whatever else, but the wound closes when the nail pulls out, leaving CT in your body in a relatively oxygen free environment. I suspect most of us have had it in our wounds in various cuts and scrapes over the years but when exposed to oxygen in an open wound it fails to thrive. Also, in theory at least, you are washing / disinfecting those open wounds.
Tetanus vaccine has saved many lives. When I worked on a hazmat team we had boosters every five years.
I would never let Tetris into my system. I could never get the little thingies to turn fast enuff.
The post is partially correct. An open wound that bleeds is "less likely" to develop an infection.
It's really surprising that tetanus emerged after we developed a vaccine for it. All those people just letting it bleed, unknowingly preventing a disease they didn't know existed.
And these are the people that would rather die from lockjaw than get a TDAP every 7 to 10 years.
Yes, because the real danger is from being bitten by a "venomous" snake.
I'm an American and these make me want to curl up in a corner and hide until it's all over. I apologize for the ignorance of my fellow Americans
Just let them believe what they want; one less idiot to deal with when they inevitably die of some preventable illness.
Can we gather them all together and send them to the arctic. They claim the earth isn't heating. They can hang out on the ice with the polar bears and be useful fodder.
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Knowing when you’re overpushing your faith in yourself can be difficult. Therefore, we all should aim to be realistic. “It's important to acknowledge that no one is perfect. We've all experienced failure at some point, and often, these failures are crucial to our growth and evolution," says therapist Racheal Turner, LPC. "When we overestimate our abilities and leave no room for improvement, we do ourselves a disservice by assuming we're the best at everything."
Everybody Can Run 7 Minute Miles
They're both wrong. Talking about a life or death situation like the first commenter, adrenaline can 100% give an healthy person in their 20s a 6 minute mile, it's just that it's still a physical effect, not a mental one.
Apparently We Are Not Animals
If you actually had brain cells, you would be an animal. BOOM.
That’s One Way To Approach The Topic I Guess…
If it took you 12 years to get a college degree, then you are hella dumb.
"What you might do is ensure that experts weigh in on your choices, that you work with mentors that you trust, and that you seek the opinions of others and work in teams and communities to keep yourself in check and are appropriately proud of yourself for your achievements," adds Hamilton. "Try to avoid echo chambers where you'll only receive positive feedback. Don't speak on topics where you're not adequately experienced."
Comments In Response To Someone Saying That 10 Years Is 15% Of Your Life
Anyone else doing the math for the next four years? By the time TFG is out of office, I'll be almost 50yo. Yup, I just brought Trump into the convo. Get used to it because it's going to be a long four years.
I Emailed Hr After Noticing A Pay Error. This Was Their Response
... I'm severely dyscalculiac. The fact that I can do the math better than this HR person is so, so sad. A 10% raise on a pay rate of $26.35 would make the new pay rate $28.98 (or $28.99 if rounding up). If I can do it, there's no excuse for a presumably non-dyscalculiac person to fail so miserably at it. And, if they *are* dyscalculiac, why on earth wouldn't they have at least had someone else check before so confidently claiming they were right? Most dyscalculiac people have at least some baseline of math-related anxiety and would want outside reassurance if their calculations were questioned. In any case, it's frustrating for me when it takes so much more work for me to do a simple equation than the average person, and the average person can't be bothered to do something that is easy for them to do correctly.
*you're
Even if we have skills and possess talent, we should never stop learning and do better. Some additional tips that help to avoid becoming the victim of overconfidence are to question our choices and seek out other points of view by diversifying our information sources.
Facebook Always Provides
You’d Have To Be Drunk To Be That Wrong. We Literally Evolved Into Tolerating Naturally Fermented Fruits, Then Learned To Make Our Own From Grains
Actually, beer was usually brewed by monks - men of god. And what was that stuff Jesus turned water into? Gatorade? And during the last supper they drank... oh yeah, blood.
“You’ve Gotten Off Lucky”. The Smugness Is Killing Me
Poll Question
How do you react when you encounter an overconfident statement that's clearly wrong?
Correct them
Ignore it
Laugh at it
Share with others
Next week this can be re-posted as "Insane facts that will blow your mind".
wrong! premium users get a new 30 confidently wrong facts! non premium gets nothing new
Drink a lot of Wine... Do a little dance... Fall down tonight. Drink a little more... Throw up on the floor… Fall down tonight.
People who want to see the last image without paying for Premium; right-click and "open image in new tab."
I actually enjoy these sometimes because it explains a lot. I'd rather they be shorter though posted into lists maybe two or three days apart
A number of animal species have been observed seeking and consuming naturally occurring fermented fruits and liquids that produce / contain alcohol - a non-exhaustive list would include monkeys, bears, squirrels, shrews, dogs, elephants, bats, and various bird species. On a related note, several other animal species seek and consume other naturally produced psycho-active flaura- e.g., wallabies (opium from poppies), reindeer (mushrooms), bighorn sheep (lichen), jaguars (Yage vine), and the well known claim re: dolphin and puffer fish (though evidence is thin here).
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing in the hands of some people.
Wonder what will be hidden behind a paywall next. Dark mode, additional content, addblocker - what did I miss?
Stupidity seems to be on the increase. Perhaps it's the lack of being vaccinated, lol.
After reading these, I say, America almost deserves trump. Holy c**p people are so bloody stupid.
By "America" do you mean The United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Greenland, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, El Salvador, Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, and Guiana?
Load More Replies...What about the rest of America that is not represented here? Do they have to have Trump, like it or not?
I guess these folks have an aversion to dictionaries and online research.
Next week this can be re-posted as "Insane facts that will blow your mind".
wrong! premium users get a new 30 confidently wrong facts! non premium gets nothing new
Drink a lot of Wine... Do a little dance... Fall down tonight. Drink a little more... Throw up on the floor… Fall down tonight.
People who want to see the last image without paying for Premium; right-click and "open image in new tab."
I actually enjoy these sometimes because it explains a lot. I'd rather they be shorter though posted into lists maybe two or three days apart
A number of animal species have been observed seeking and consuming naturally occurring fermented fruits and liquids that produce / contain alcohol - a non-exhaustive list would include monkeys, bears, squirrels, shrews, dogs, elephants, bats, and various bird species. On a related note, several other animal species seek and consume other naturally produced psycho-active flaura- e.g., wallabies (opium from poppies), reindeer (mushrooms), bighorn sheep (lichen), jaguars (Yage vine), and the well known claim re: dolphin and puffer fish (though evidence is thin here).
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing in the hands of some people.
Wonder what will be hidden behind a paywall next. Dark mode, additional content, addblocker - what did I miss?
Stupidity seems to be on the increase. Perhaps it's the lack of being vaccinated, lol.
After reading these, I say, America almost deserves trump. Holy c**p people are so bloody stupid.
By "America" do you mean The United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Greenland, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, El Salvador, Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, and Guiana?
Load More Replies...What about the rest of America that is not represented here? Do they have to have Trump, like it or not?
I guess these folks have an aversion to dictionaries and online research.