The Holier-Than-Thou Effect

[steven johnson]

Cognitive distortions insulate us from reality and allow us to concentrate on things we can change. Unfortunately, people's perception that they can face undiluted reality is dead wrong. Our mental defense mechanisms are probably geneticly encoded and allow us to distort reality in ways that allow us to function better.

... people tend to be overly optimistic about their own abilities and fortunes - to overestimate their standing in class, their discipline, their sincerity.

Culture, religious belief and experience all help shape a person's sense of moral standing in relation to others, psychologists say, and new research is helping to clarify when such feelings of superiority are helpful and when they are self-defeating.

"But the point is that many types of behavior are driven far more by the situation than by the force of personality. What someone else did in that situation is a very strong warning about what you yourself would do."


So-called self-enhancers think that they're blessed, that they're highly appreciated by others and that they'll come out on top...
"Self-enhancers do very well, across the board, on measures of mental health in these situations,"


http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=360755&f0=25

[qazplm]

1. probably true to an extent

but there are some people who are more disciplined, or more sincere, or who do use force of personality to deal with a difficult situation.

So is this saying all people overestimate, even those who are unusually disciplined or sincere, or is that most folks think they are unusually so when they are not?

[steven johnson]

2. 80% of drivers think they are better than average

and 50 % think they are in the top 10% of driving ability. 80% of people think they have better prospects than average. This is cross-cultural.

Ironically depressed people are more realistic. But they don't procreate as readily as optimists -- that's what natural selection is all about. More progeny, not realism is what evolution has selected.

Depressive realism

On the Evolutionary Emergence of Optimism

Hardwired for Optimism?

Are We All Better Drivers than Average?

Optimistic Bias

[bananas]

4. Martin Seligman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Seligman

[JuniperLea]

3. This may be why some people think they can actually sing...

And are so indignant when bumped from American Idol.

[Orsino]

5. Those of you who *think* you know everything...

...are extremely annoying to those of us who do.