The Confidence of People Who Are Always Wrong

I have always been fascinated by people who are confidently wrong. Not slightly mistaken, not confused about a particular detail, but completely and spectacularly wrong whilebehaving as though they have personally written the textbook on the subject.You know the type. You could be having a perfectly normal conversation about something, and suddenly someone will make a statement so inaccurate that you briefly question your own education.The funniest part is that correcting them rarelyhelps. In fact, it often makes things worse. They don’t reconsider their statement or look for evidence. Instead, they become more confident. Suddenly, you are not having a conversation anymore. You are attending an unsolicited lecture.I once witnessed someone confidently explain a geographical fact that was so incorrect that even Google Maps would probably have filed a complaint. When another person gently corrected them, they simply replied, “That’s what I have heard.” Well, congratulations. 

Apparently, hearsay has now become an academic qualification.There is also a special category of people who begin every sentence with “Actually…” 

regardless of whether they know what they are talking about. They could be discussing medicine, astronomy, politics or the functioning of a washing machine. Their confidence remains exactly the same.I particularly enjoy watching such people during group discussions. Someone will ask a simple question, and they will immediately volunteer an answer. Five minutes later, three people are correcting them, one person is searching Google, and the original question has been completely forgotten. Yet somehow, they will still manage to conclude the discussion with, “Anyway, that’s my point.”Social media has made this phenomenon even more entertaining. Everyone is suddenly an expert on nutrition, international affairs, psychology and economics. A thirty-second reel becomes sufficient research, and a comment section becomes a university lecture hall. The only difference is that nobody seems particularly interested in learning anything.Of course, being wrong is perfectly normal. We all make mistakes, misunderstand information and occasionally say things without checking the facts. I certainly don’t expect anyone to know everything. In fact, admitting that you don’t know something is probably one of the most sensible things a person can do.But there is something genuinely impressive about someone who can be corrected five times and still leave the conversation believing they have won an argument.Perhaps confidence really is the key to success. Unfortunately, some people seem to have received an unlimited supply of confidence and absolutely no accompanying information.At this point, I don’t even feel like correcting them. I simply nod, smile and let them continue. After all, who am I to interrupt someone’s lifelong commitment to being confidently incorrect?