Ignorance and confidence. The Dunning Kruger effect.

[Gamdwelf]

Successful negotiation of everyday life would seem to require people to possess insight about deficiencies in their intellectual and social skills. However, people tend to be blissfully unaware of their incompetence. This lack of awareness arises because poor performers are doubly cursed: Their lack of skill deprives them not only of the ability to produce correct responses, but also of the expertise necessary to surmise that they are not producing them. People base their perceptions of performance, in part, on their preconceived notions about their skills. Because these notions often do not correlate with objective performance, they can lead people to make judgments about their performance that have little to do with actual accomplishment.

http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/12/3/83.abstract

Abstract for the concept with the full text attached.

Basically ignorance about a skill or knowledge about something tends to lead people into thinking they are doing a really good job at it.

In short ignorance and incompetence are directly correlated with overconfidence while having the knowledge seems to correlate with slightly underestimating how well one is doing.

These results have been extrapolated from many things from test taking to daily life.

[Xar226]

It's a 15 year old study that has multiple concurring studies published after. What are we discussing? Is there some disagreement about whether or not it is a real thing?

[Deleted]

Dumb and narcisstic people generally aren't very self-critical -- and also tend to react very violently towards opposing views, especially if they realize they can't back up their claims. But the basic assumption is that they can't be wrong, no matter what. Pretty much sums up all the fans of marxism-related ideologies, and most of the rest as well. What's new?

[Cosmic Janitor]

Being aware of all my flaws hasn't helped me in the slightest either, if it just were that easy :P.

[Dezerte]

Cleese is funnier.

[Independent voter]

People say all the time, 'I didn't know what I was getting in to.'

Sometimes they are spectacular failures but occasionally, rarely they are spectacular successes. I'm sure Facebook's Zukenberg would say 'i didn't know what i was getting in to', maybe Notch of Minecraft fame too, Gates of Microsoft too.

It's also called 'getting in over your head'. I've learned so much when I've gotten in over my head, even though I usually fail.

[Stacyrect]

http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/12/3/83.abstract

Abstract for the concept with the full text attached.

Basically ignorance about a skill or knowledge about something tends to lead people into thinking they are doing a really good job at it.

In short ignorance and incompetence are directly correlated with overconfidence while having the knowledge seems to correlate with slightly underestimating how well one is doing.

These results have been extrapolated from many things from test taking to daily life.

I started my own business at 19 for painting and landscaping and I didn't know shit about it. Might not seem like their is a lot to it, but when you have to plan 4 season perennial landscapes and faux type paint scapes the game changes a bit. Self-confidence and the ability to understand what the customer wants, your ability to deliver, and a price are all that matters.

People sell products all the time out of their content knowledge. What gets a customer to buy is your ability to further showcase the product and the facilitate that need for it