Incompetent people consistently overestimate their own skills, a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect.

A closer look

Incompetent people consistently overestimate their own skills, a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. While you spend hours doubting every life choice and double-checking your emails for typos, the least qualified person in your office is radiating absolute confidence because they literally lack the brainpower to comprehend their own stupidity. This psychological quirk explains why your boss got promoted despite not knowing how to convert a Word document to a PDF, and why reality television continues to thrive. So next time you feel imposter syndrome creeping in, just remember that crippling self-doubt is technically a sign of baseline intelligence, which is a miserable but scientifically accurate consolation prize!