Self-confidence leads to self-deception

Although the psychological basis of unjustified confidence complex, a key element is insufficient awareness of people that their knowledge is based on assumptions, which often are insignificant. For example, 30% of respondents in the psychological experiments were firmly convinced that the murder is more frequent than suicide. These subjects were misled by the fact that the murders are much easier to remember, and they were, by virtue of its confidence, is unable to estimate that easy-to-remember events, is an imperfect basis for such conclusions.

According to the American researchers, 94% of University professors believe they are better than their colleagues do their job; 25% of College students believe that they belong to that 1% of students who know how easy to get along with others; 70% of students consider themselves the owners of leadership qualities beyond the average. Only 2% of students ascribe ability is below average. Thus, excessive self-confidence contributes to inadequate self-esteem and leads to self-deception.

Psychologists explain the phenomenon of self-deception many reasons: wishful thinking, prejudice, threat, other unconscious psychological factors that negatively affect human and shape it intention to adopt a particular point of view. In addition to these reasons can be grouped under the General title unconscious motivation, self-deception can be caused by so-called cognitive reasons, i.e. the inability to adequately assess available information. This is, firstly, a false perception of arbitrary information and to identify patterns where they actually no. Secondly, misinterpretation of incomplete or inconclusive information, and reasoning in terms of the singular focus on supporting facts and ignoring unfavorable data and the abandonment of their search.

Numerous studies have shown that most people attach excessive importance to information that confirms their beliefs. Much easier to see any information to support our point of view, than make sure they oppose it. At the same time negative examples require effort even just to recognize them as such, especially, to find them meaningful. It has been proven that the tendency to pay more attention and positive faith and supporting information affects a person's memory. Removing from the memory information associated with one or another approval, the people most likely remember exactly confirming his information.