Why do everyone believe that they are good at racing?

[mittacc]

Oi!

I've been pondering on this for a while. Why does everyone believe that they are good at racing? Almost everyone that I meet believe that racing is the same as it is in games such as gta or dirt. I myself raced with gokarts when I was younger for several years, I've set the track record of my home track and even driven on par with people that've won the national championship - and yet people still believe that they even have a chance of beating me at a gokart track... Last time we went to a track and rented cars my dad brought a few friends that thought they had a chance - guess what happened? I passed them like 4-5 times in a 7 minute window and I haven't even driven a "real" kart in like 5 damn years!

The most prevalent opinion these people share that I've noticed is that racing is "just turning a wheel and moving your feet" and that would be the equivalent of me saying that counter strike is so easy "because you just move the crosshair to a head and then click". Easier said than done in other words.

I mean, I would never ever think I could beat a local hockey-team with my friends just because we are good at NHL, it's so damn silly!

So why do people believe that they are so good at racing?



ps: Fun fact, I suck at racing games :ds

[oplawlz]

I don't know that people think they're good at racing so much as they don't recognize it as a sport. No one is impressed by your gokart bragging, for instance, as they might be if you averaged 30 points a game in basketball (against reasonably skilled people) or a .300 batting average. The reason for this is simple - it is just turning a wheel and moving your feet, plus familiarity with your track and vehicle.

[mittacc]

I don't know that people think they're good at racing so much as they don't recognize it as a sport. No one is impressed by your gokart bragging, for instance, as they might be if you averaged 30 points a game in basketball (against reasonably skilled people) or a .300 batting average. The reason for this is simple - it is just turning a wheel and moving your feet, plus familiarity with your track and vehicle.

But batting isn't just swinging your arms, right? The "bragging" was more or less to give context, total rookies that believe they can beat an experienced driver/player/whatever is just plain silly.

This isn't about if people recognize racing as a sport. There is science behind that and I don't see the point of arguing when there is pure fact.


Edit: About the "it's just turning a wheel and moving your feet". Well, you also have to place your body weight aproprietly in each turn in lighter vehicles.

[timesmash]

I know what you're saying OP and it's certainly not limited to racing.

I see it in my job too and it could be summed up as an accessibility issue. If it's something that is accessible like driving or using a camera, people assume there's nothing physically holding them back from doing it like a pro.

And to add on to that feeling they get, they probably don't have a concept against what to compare their abilities. I could, for example, rate my ability to race well based on all the times I stepped on the gas and didn't crash. That would be a totally bogus assessment but would I ever know better?

[Northern Goblin]

Probably because people can get a kart around a track several times without context, they don't know their time was fast or slow by competition standards.

Same people probably cannot play a physical sport well, either feeling exhausted or lacking in talent.

[Tziva]

Probably because people can get a kart around a track several times without context, they don't know their time was fast or slow by competition standards.

FWIW, the karts you rent at public tracks are usually pretty different than actual racing karts that people race (semi?)professionally. Likely for liability reasons, they don't go near as fast even if you wanted. Which, at least in the context of the OP, probably doesn't help people's misunderstanding.

CSB: When I was a teenager I had an opportunity to try a friend's professional superkart for giggles and I have no qualms admitting my lack of skill at it. I actually managed to "crash" the damn thing. I was coming up on a corner going too fast, muscle memory from real cars was not used to hitting the brake with left foot so I instead slammed the gas, shot off a slight embankment of a corner, flew out into the grass median, sheered off a sprinkler head and cut the underside of the kart in half on the protruding pipe. Oops. Sorry, Seth, for ruining your kart.

TL;DR I suck and will admit I suck

[Puupi]

I mean, I would never ever think I could beat a local hockey-team with my friends just because we are good at NHL, it's so damn silly!

So why do people believe that they are so good at racing?

You know, people actually drive cars and not just play racing games?

Also, karting is poop racing to compete in (especially as adults), your weight is the main determinant on how fast you are.

[mittacc]

You know, people actually drive cars and not just play racing games?

Also, karting is poop racing to compete in (especially as adults), your weight is the main determinant on how fast you are.

Driving around in your sedan in your town is not the same...like at all. Weight is set to a minimum so if you're too light you have to compensate with either enough gasoline or weights.

Yes, I realise this thread is almost a year old.

[Puupi]

Driving around in your sedan in your town is not the same...like at all.

Yes, I realise this thread is almost a year old.

Unholy fucking necromancer. How the hell did you dug up this thread?

[mittacc]

Unholy fucking necromancer. How the hell did you dug up this thread?

Necromancy