overconfidence
Unwarranted faith inward
Overconfidence is excessive or unwarranted belief in one's own abilities, judgment, or chances of success.
It often leads to poor decisions, inadequate preparation, or dismissal of genuine risks: His overconfidence cost him the match.
The term implies a gap between perceived and actual competence—someone displaying overconfidence typically doesn't recognize their own limitations.
In psychology and economics, overconfidence is studied as a cognitive bias that affects everything from investment decisions to medical diagnoses.
Ruinous excessive confidence
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
- smugnessExcessive pride in oneself
self-importance · pomposity · haughtiness · superciliousness · boastfulness · braggadocio · swagger · immodesty
Judging something too high
- miscalculationError in estimation
- misperceptionIncorrect interpretation of reality
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
Unwise decision-making
- carelessnessInattention causing mistakes
- rashnessImprudent haste in action
- foolhardinessReckless bravery, unwise daring
- impulsivityActing without considering consequences
gambling · incaution · negligence · heedlessness · daring · audacity · brashness · precipitousness
Unwarranted belief things will work
- bullishnessConfident expectation of gains
- positivityHopeful mental orientation
- certaintyTotal absence of doubt
- assurednessConfident self-possession
conviction · can-do · gung-ho · naivete · Pollyannaism · starry-eyed · pie-in-the-sky · rose-colored
hubris
Ruinous excessive confidence
- egotismInflated sense of self-importance
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
smugness · self-importance · pomposity · haughtiness · superciliousness · boastfulness · braggadocio · swagger · immodesty · vainglory
overestimation
Judging something too high
- miscalculationError in estimation
- misperceptionIncorrect interpretation of reality
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
illusion · self-deception · misapprehension · Dunning-Kruger
imprudence
Unwise decision-making
- carelessnessInattention causing mistakes
- rashnessImprudent haste in action
- foolhardinessReckless bravery, unwise daring
impulsivity · gambling · incaution · negligence · heedlessness · daring · audacity · brashness · precipitousness · devil-may-care
overoptimism
Unwarranted belief things will work
- bullishnessConfident expectation of gains
- positivityHopeful mental orientation
- certaintyTotal absence of doubt
assuredness · conviction · can-do · gung-ho · naivete · Pollyannaism · starry-eyed · pie-in-the-sky · rose-colored
- Strategic Mistakesmiscalculation, underestimation, poor timing, overextension, overcommitment
- judgment errorsanchoring bias, confirmation bias, hindsight bias, optimism bias, recency bias
- human flawsmistake, error, flaw, fault, failing
- human follyhubris, pride, vanity, greed, arrogance
- vicesgreed, envy, lust, gluttony, vanity
- egoego, egoism, big ego, egotism, egocentrism
overconfidenceunderconfidence
Insufficient belief in oneself
self-doubt · underestimation · diffidence · imposter syndrome · self-deprecation
overconfidencehumility
Freedom from arrogance
modesty · humbleness · meekness · self-effacement · lowliness
overconfidenceself-doubt
Uncertainty about oneself
underconfidence · insecurity · diffidence · timidity · uncertainty