Self-deceived individuals deceive others better

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140827141609.htm

Date: August 27, 2014
Source: University of Exeter
Summary:
Over-confident people can fool others into believing they are more talented than they actually are, a study has found. These 'self-deceived' individuals could be more likely to get promotions and reach influential positions in banks and other organizations. And these people are more likely to overestimate other people's abilities and take greater risks, possibly creating problems for their organizations.

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And these people are more likely to overestimate other people's abilities and take greater risks, possibly creating problems for their organizations.

The study by researchers from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter, has also found that those who are under confident in their own abilities are viewed as less able by their colleagues.

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"These findings suggest that people don't always reward the most accomplished individual but rather the most self-deceived.

"We think this supports an evolutionary theory of self-deception. It can be beneficial to have others believe you are better than you are and the best way to do this is to deceive yourself -- which might be what we have evolved to do.

"This can cause problems as over confident people may also be more likely to take risks. So if too many people overrate themselves and deceive others about their abilities within organizations then this could lead to disastrous consequences such as airplane crashes or financial collapses."

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