
Why Do Some People Speak So Confidently When They Have No Clue? - eplanit
http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/leadership-training-or-bullshit-training-harvard-price-pseudo
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mratzloff
Great article. I have two anecdotes.

I tend to think out loud and express a lot of complexity and nuance in my
answers before settling on a conclusion. I have been interviewing recently,
and in one interview I did this, resulting in a mixed review from someone who
mistook thoughtful consideration for uncertainty and inexperience. I quickly
diagnosed the problem upon hearing this and in subsequent interviews exuded
confident, almost belligerent certainty in my answers. Naturally, this was
very well-received.

Some in my previous organization rewarded certainty in the short term so long
as it was borne out by the long term. There was a certain individual who was
confident of everything he said. He was initiatially very successful in the
organzatiom before eventually being isolated as a result of failure to produce
long-term results. His bullshit eventually caught up with him.

People like to think of themselves as rational, but we've evolved to respond
to leadership, and we equate leadership with confidence. If there's a lesson
here, I suppose it's that it's important to learn when to exude confidence—and
when not to.

~~~
gt_
Thanks for the reminder. I suffer from the same habit and cannot be reminded
enough to exude more bullshit.

Please excuse me, I meant to say that you seem to be inexperienced and just
making excuses. ;)

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trophycase
Because ignorance is shamed and those who speak with confidence and like they
know what they are talking about are more likely to get what they wsnt... like
this comment.

~~~
closeparen
Yep. In business, in dating, in life, we use the level of confidence someone
projects to assess his quality as a human being. We openly acknowledge this,
and most don't think there's anything wrong it.

Hedging, weasel words, caveats, etc. that accurately reflect the complexities
of situations and the uncertainty inherent in understanding them ("most,"
"usually," "seem to,") are seen as slimy, and the people who use them are
considered weak and dishonest.

I'd say the man speaking confidently in absolutes deserves more skepticism by
default, but instinct doesn't seem to work that way.

~~~
projektir
I would be very careful with using the word "instinct" here. This could very
well be learned, and I would say promotion of confidence over ability is more
common in the US than in some other places where it skews in the other
direction and false modesty is preferred.

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ggm
As a serial offender, I can say from personal experience I do this
unconsciously, (and regret exists only in arrears).

It is terribly hard not to want to engage, and faking it works better than
"I'm sorry, I haven't a clue" for the immediate social responsiveness.

It gets scary when you begin to see signs actions are being taken on your
fakery. I hate this.

~~~
TheArcane
This is refreshingly honest. I'd love to read more comments like yours.

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jeff4ds
Related to this topic, I HIGHLY recommend everyone read Harry's Frankfurt's
"On Bullshit": [https://www.stoa.org.uk/topics/bullshit/pdf/on-
bullshit.pdf](https://www.stoa.org.uk/topics/bullshit/pdf/on-bullshit.pdf)

[https://vimeo.com/167796382](https://vimeo.com/167796382)

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TYPE_FASTER
Speaking confidently could also be seen as removing uncertainty and focusing a
team to move toward a goal. One of the more interesting things I learned from
reading "1776" was the difference between the confidence George Washington
projected, and the uncertainty in his letters to friends.

The difference lies in how the leader 1. Recognizes a need for change in
direction/vision and 2. Accepts ownership if the vision needs correction.

It takes a leader to confidently provide a vision and execute towards it. It
also takes a leader to quickly notice a need to change course, own it, and
keep momentum going.

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IncRnd
“If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.”

― W.C. Fields

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DrScump
A great real-world (if Los Angeles is a real world) example of this is the
periodic "Liewitness News" segment on Jimmy Kimmel's show, where people are
asked their opinions on current events... that never happened.

Interviewee after interviewee will give detailed accounts about seeing or
reading about a given event that was totally made up by the producers.

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csmark
We unconsciously read body language or nonverbal cues and listen to how they
are speaking and give more weight to that than the words they speak. There are
many ways of saying this such as"it's 80% how you say it & 20% what you say."
and "it's not what you say but how you make people feel."

Watch the change in Mark Zuckerberg - [https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/watch-
mark-zuckerberg-evolv...](https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/watch-mark-
zuckerberg-evolve-from-awkward-geek-to-public-figure.html)

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts,
while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” ― Charles Bukowski

"Arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand." ― Metallica

"Don't ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance, or
my kindness for weakness." ― Unknown

Personal experience: Granted I was a new hire but this was ridiculous. My
supervisor's prior work at a beauty salon. Sample preparation virtually
ensured cross contamination. Crushing tools wipe with fingers between wells,
flying debris into neighboring wells, and multi-channel pressed crusher with
rusty metal ends was brushed off between trays. No understanding of the
difference between a true negative and a blank well.

Every laboratory I've worked in has the same basic unwritten rules of
etiquette. The most obvious is don't touch what isn't yours. Another is one
person, and only that one, does the work from start to finish. I couldn't just
sit down and pick-up where my supervisor left off or get used to not knowing
what steps may or may not have been done when I came back from break. The lack
of an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) meant I had to mentally work through
the process which took a few minutes. To the ignorant it's just a simple
sequence of mixing solutions, rinse, add another and done while I appear to be
completely confused by a simple process. To me each step builds off the
previous and my mental image of the process at the molecular level gets jammed
up. I've spent years working research laboratories, have a college degree, and
lots of graduate work. My supervisor thinks I'm mentally challenged and just
will not stop asking the most obvious questions. When I pointed out the cross
contamination it was taken as a personal insult. When I went to demonstrate
she just turned and left the room.

~~~
r00fus
Sounds like you should just quit and let that lab flounder.

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molestrangler
'If you can't dazzle them with dexterity baffle the with bullshit.'

Something you should remind yourself to avoid when talking with people.

Also 'people have a habit of believing their own bullshit'.

Also good to remind yourself to keep yourself in-check.

The risk is how do you keep up with people who will happily do both.

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thisisit
Is it just me or the site name(alternet) and the article content seems to be
targeted at Donald Trump and his constant stream of confidence?

~~~
r00fus
"stream of confidence" is a great phrase. It's quite apropos.

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ringaroundthetx
Read the article and I can very much resonate with the "hedge fund mode" quip,
its because the consequences are more favorable.

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wushupork
Especially in Silicon Valley, where people tend to take the "fake it till you
make it" to the next level because of pressure.

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purplezooey
Terrific article. My company is full of these people.

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newsmania
Because we have the right to vote at age 18! And since politicians decide who
goes to jail, who fights in wars and where bombs dropped, deciding on the
right person to vote for is hugely important. Normally we would take years to
formulate opinions on what the right policies are. But the fact is we can vote
at 18 when we are still in college with no life experience. So we spend four
years voting on things we likely don’t understand. We are expected to know who
to vote for, yet don’t really have the life understanding to make good
choices. So we get used to making decisions and defending them even if we
don’t really understand the subject matter. At least that’s what I think.

~~~
vorotato
The least liked president in american history's election win was made possible
by an older demographic. The common mistake that young people make instead is
not voting for the wrong person, but rather not voting at all. I suppose they
haven't in their life seen the power of collective action, and don't think
their vote matters very much. Individually they're totally right, but
collectively their vote really has a lot of power.

