Pater Familias

Theories, observations, and articles, by Philip Schaefer · All posts · Categories

CONFIDENCE PERSUADES—AND SO DOES OVERCONFIDENCE.

November 5, 2010 · Economics, Politics, Science

CONFIDENCE PERSUADES—AND SO DOES OVERCONFIDENCE. The Dunning-Kruger effect is troubling because it shows that confident people may well be incompetent. Worse, confidence is a great persuader. Lecturers on trial advocacy will point out the importance in a trial of an advocate showing confidence in the client’s cause.

“Some one who is foolish and aggressive is thought of as aggressive; some one who is foolish but not aggressive is thought of as foolish.”

Or, in this context, some one who is foolish and confident is thought of as confident; some one who is foolish and uncertain is thought of as foolish.