Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (2013)

Post by Neliquat » Tue, Feb 21, 2017, 3:31 PM UTC

bsder wrote: post #107

pfarnsworth wrote: post #8

Because talking with confidence will go 90% of the way to convincing people that you know what you're talking about. So often I've worked with assholes who talk with such confidence that most people won't bother filtering the garbage coming from their mouths. They just believe it. It's almost eerie how effectively talking with confidence works. It's so effective that when you complain about these charlatans, YOU look…

> Because talking with confidence will go 90% of the way to convincing people that you know what you're talking about. This combines with the fact that the vast majority of people do not want to get into a confrontation. Consequently, everybody thinks that everybody else agrees. > It's so effective that when you complain about these charlatans, YOU look like an asshole, even when you are completely factual. You have…

Post by __derek__ » Tue, Feb 21, 2017, 4:06 PM UTC

GenWintergreen wrote: post #150

pfarnsworth wrote: post #8

Because talking with confidence will go 90% of the way to convincing people that you know what you're talking about. So often I've worked with assholes who talk with such confidence that most people won't bother filtering the garbage coming from their mouths. They just believe it. It's almost eerie how effectively talking with confidence works. It's so effective that when you complain about these charlatans, YOU look…

On a tangential note, there's another quality that struck me as (paradoxically) expected and surprising. In my prior role, I worked as an analyst on a sales desk at a large investment bank -- a group in which "talking with confidence" really was 90% of the job. The head of the desk had been one of the best salesman in the industry, and had (fairly) received compensation to reward that. However, that didn't quite tran…

Post by amai » Tue, Feb 21, 2017, 7:27 PM UTC

Post by blackm123 » Tue, Feb 21, 2017, 10:21 PM UTC

_tjm wrote: post #144

Clanan wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This behavior is reinforced by current child-rearing and educational practices as well. Think about how much emphasis is placed on blind confidence, self-esteem, extroversion, etc. (at least in the U.S.). So it makes sense that confidence would be rewarded later in life when society defines it as a key metric before then. I recall reading a book which posited that this shift to confidence over other "interior" charac…

If you're able to could to find out the title of this book? It sounds interesting.

Post by nikdaheratik » Tue, Feb 21, 2017, 11:37 PM UTC

omalleyt wrote: post #81

stupidcar wrote: post #45

One of the most interesting facts in Francis Fukuyama's The Origins of Political Order was that the most primordial form of human social groupings, small bands of hunter gatherers, are organised along egalitarian and democratic lines, without any recognisable leader. There may be an individual who the other members of the band listen to more than others, but only due to their proven experience and wisdom. And there i…

Hunter-gatherers generally didn't store meat. Therefore, when the best hunter in the group brought home a large animal, he shared it with all. Likewise, there were few physical possessions or need for such, and so these were shared too. But egalitarian? Not a chance. Studies show that even modern hunters expend enormous energy and risk their lives hunting over the real prize: access to mates.