Incompetent People With High Self-Esteem Often Say 6 Out-Of-Touch Phrases In Conversations

Just because a person has confidence and a healthy dose of self-esteem does not mean they are competent. If you listen closely, they even tell you just how unqualified they are when you're chatting with them.

"Toy Story's" Buzz Lightyear may have been on to something when he proclaimed, "There seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere." Okay, that's not really fair, but it sort of describes the Dunning-Kruger effect, which explains why some people are so sure of themselves when they really have no cause to be.

The concept is simple: some people are very confident in their opinions even though they don't have the knowledge to back them up.

Phrases extremely confident yet unknowingly incompetent people say that give them away:

1. 'That is so easy!'

incompetent man with high self esteem thinking his next work project is so easy gpointstudio | Shutterstock

Unfortunately, we have all been around someone while watching the Olympics, the World Cup, or any other huge sporting event who genuinely believes they could easily beat a team of highly trained professional athletes. Why? Because of their track record from when they ran in high school a decade ago, of course!

This overconfidence also comes from the Dunning-Kruger effect. Many people believe that because they have experience and skills in one area, those skills automatically transfer to another. Like the example here, running track in high school a decade ago is not equivalent to being a trained professional athlete for any Olympic sport. So no, those skills are not transferable.

2. 'That is not dangerous'

Incompetence goes hand in hand with overestimation, a form of overconfidence. The Dunning-Kruger effect is a clear example of overestimation, as many of the study participants overestimated their true abilities. However, overestimation can often lead to dangerous outcomes.

People with a tendency to overestimate their abilities are leaning on wishful thinking. This wishful thinking leads to harmful outcomes. When someone overestimates their capabilities, they could easily overlook something that is clearly dangerous.

3. 'I am better than you at this'

incompetent man with arm around friend at the gym telling him he is better at physical fitness Ground Picture | Shutterstock

The thing about people with high self-esteem and an overinflated sense of capability is that they think they're better than everyone else without any real evidence that it's true. Even if you can show them your own prowess, they'll still think they can best you. Experts might even label their inflated ego as a superiority complex.

Overconfidence and overestimation mean incompetent people don't need evidence on either side to think they are better than everyone else at most things.

4. 'I did not make a mistake'

Incompetence makes people unable to admit to their faults or their mistakes. With such high confidence and self-esteem, they can never see their actions and choices as problematic or incorrect.

David Dunning, of the Dunning-Kruger effect, wrote chapter five of the book "The Dunning-Kruger Effect: On Being Ignorant of One's Own Ignorance" and said in the abstract, "Their deficits leave them with a double burden — not only does their incomplete and misguided knowledge lead them to make mistakes but those exact same deficits also prevent them from recognizing when they are making mistakes and other people choosing more wisely."

5. 'You are wrong'

This phrase on its own doesn't seem that bad. However, an incompetent person uses it to defend what they believe, not necessarily what is factual.

An incompetent person will claim that you are wrong when you are right. You know you are right. You know you are right because you studied the topic of the conversation. It's so absurd that you don't even feel the need to prove that you are right, because your expertise speaks for itself.

6. 'That does not make sense'

incompetent woman talking to friend in the park telling her that her decisions are right and her push back doesn't make sense ArtMari | Shutterstock

It would make sense for a confidently incompetent person to struggle to understand an unfamiliar concept. But it's not quite that simple. Someone who is incompetent and tends to overestimate themselves may also rely on heuristics. Heuristics are mental shortcuts that speed up decision-making.

Heuristics on their own are not bad. If you're deciding between taking the highway or back roads to get to work, heuristics make sense. Your brain quickly jumps to the fact that you're running late, so the shortest route is best. The problem comes when you use the shortcuts for bigger decisions, which can lead to bias.

Heuristics can introduce errors and irrational choices. Because of this, incompetent people will not understand when others push back on their choices because they truly believe that their decisions and decision-making are superior.

Lyss Micalizzi is a writer covering human interest and pop culture, with a master’s in Literature and Culture, a bachelor’s in English Literary and Textual Studies, and over six years of writing and social media experience.

Incompetent People With High Self-Esteem Often Say 6 Out-Of-Touch Phrases In Casual Conversation