--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're generally overconfident in our…" description: "\"We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.\" — Daniel Kahneman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg" --- # We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our… ![“We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.” quote by Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg) > “We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.” [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People tend to overestimate the accuracy of their own beliefs and judgments. **In simple terms:** We think we know more than we do. Key Takeaway Check assumptions before acting. Themes cognition confidence bias Mood reflective cautious Type analytical psychological When to use this quote - decision making - personal relationships - financial planning - public policy - risk assessment Key Concepts overconfidence heuristics selfassessment Questions to Reflect On - How often do you verify your beliefs? - What evidence would change your mind? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can be useful for motivation, but may lead to errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Overconfident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overconfident/) ## Related quotes > [“Who would appreciate such candor? No one. None of us really likes honesty. We prefer deception –but only when it is unabashedly flattering or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bonner/who-would-appreciate-such-candor-no-one-none-of-us-really-likes/) William Bonner > [The amount of success it takes for leaders to become overconfident isn't terribly large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-amount-of-success-it-takes-for-leaders-to-become-overconfident/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Political columnists and sports pundits are rewarded for being overconfident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/political-columnists-and-sports-pundits-are-rewarded-for-being/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“The bat-and-ball problem is our first encounter with an observation that will be a recurrent theme of this book: many people are overconfident, prone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-bat-and-ball-problem-is-our-first-encounter-with-an-observation/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [He was overconfident”, she told him. “And I won so the gods must have thought I was right. Otherwise they’d have made me lose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/he-was-overconfident-she-told-him-and-i-won-so-the-gods-must-have/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [“Because we humans are so fond of our judgment, and so overconfident in it, many of us, if not most, will be too quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mcafee/because-we-humans-are-so-fond-of-our-judgment-and-so-overconfident-in/) [Andrew McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mcafee/) > [We are busy surviving, herding, fixating on what just happened, and being overconfident!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-greenblatt/we-are-busy-surviving-herding-fixating-on-what-just-happened-and/) [Joel Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-greenblatt/) > [People are drastically overconfident about their judgments of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-are-drastically-overconfident-about-their-judgments-of-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never entered a fight overconfident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabricio-werdum/i-never-entered-a-fight-overconfident/) [Fabricio Werdum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabricio-werdum/) > [I don't think we want to be overconfident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bigelow/i-don-t-think-we-want-to-be-overconfident/) [Robert Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bigelow/) > [“Just as the Hare was overconfident in its speed, so the developers are overconfident in their ability to remain productive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-martin/just-as-the-hare-was-overconfident-in-its-speed-so-the-developers-are/) [Robert C. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-martin/) > [I come from an overly confident place. But I'm overconfident because of feelings of inferiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/i-come-from-an-overly-confident-place-but-i-m-overconfident-because/) [Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/) > [The key is not being overconfident. You should not think that because I'm a top-ranked player, I will win this game. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-v-sindhu/the-key-is-not-being-overconfident-you-should-not-think-that-because/) [P. V. Sindhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-v-sindhu/) > [We live in a country where there is a lot of animosity. If your politics is radical it antagonises. People might think I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-jones/we-live-in-a-country-where-there-is-a-lot-of-animosity-if-your/) [Owen Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-jones/) > [I have a great record against anybody right now, so it doesn't really matter who I play in the final. I'll be in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/i-have-a-great-record-against-anybody-right-now-so-it-doesn-t-really/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) ## More by Daniel Kahneman > [Economists think about what people ought to do. Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Belief in the Law of Small Numbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/belief-in-the-law-of-small-numbers/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“People who are poor think like traders, but the dynamics are quite different. Unlike traders, the poor are not indifferent to the differences between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-who-are-poor-think-like-traders-but-the-dynamics-are-quite/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Mood evidently affects the operation of System 1: when we are uncomfortable and unhappy, we lose touch with our intuition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/mood-evidently-affects-the-operation-of-system-1-when-we-are/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-confidence-that-individuals-have-in-their-beliefs-depends-mostly/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“So this is my aim for watercooler conversations: improve the ability to identify and understand errors of judgment and choice, in others and eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/so-this-is-my-aim-for-watercooler-conversations-improve-the-ability/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“For example, I recently came to doubt my long-held impression that adultery is more common among politicians than among physicians or lawyers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/for-example-i-recently-came-to-doubt-my-long-held-impression-that/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Survival prospects are poor for an animal that is not suspicious of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/survival-prospects-are-poor-for-an-animal-that-is-not-suspicious-of/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“the idea of money primes individualism: a reluctance to be involved with others, to depend on others, or to accept demands from others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-idea-of-money-primes-individualism-a-reluctance-to-be-involved/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Most of the moments of our life - and I calculated, you know, the psychological present is said to be about three seconds long;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/most-of-the-moments-of-our-life-and-i-calculated-you-know-the/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“knowing little makes it easier to fit everything you know into a coherent pattern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/knowing-little-makes-it-easier-to-fit-everything-you-know-into-a/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [All of us would be better investors if we just made fewer decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/all-of-us-would-be-better-investors-if-we-just-made-fewer-decisions/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“The best we can do is a compromise: learn to recognize situations in which mistakes are likely and try harder to avoid significant mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-best-we-can-do-is-a-compromise-learn-to-recognize-situations-in/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“A happy mood loosens the control of System 2 over performance: when in a good mood, people become more intuitive and more creative but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/a-happy-mood-loosens-the-control-of-system-2-over-performance-when-in/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) [Explore all 560 Daniel Kahneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) ## More Impression quotes > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [“In the innovation age customer experience is key. Your impression defines their expression”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/in-the-innovation-age-customer-experience-is-key-your-impression/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [I have often heard that the novel is dead. But I see novels produced, I don't know how many a week, in France. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/i-have-often-heard-that-the-novel-is-dead-but-i-see-novels-produced-i/) [Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/) > [Cinema has become my life. I dont mean a parallel world, I mean my life itself. I sometimes have the impression that the daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-almodovar/cinema-has-become-my-life-i-dont-mean-a-parallel-world-i-mean-my-life/) [Pedro Almodovar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-almodovar/) > [Good history is a question of survival. Without any past, we will deprive ourselves of the defining impression of our being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/good-history-is-a-question-of-survival-without-any-past-we-will/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/) [Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced-myself-to-people-and-told/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [If we Europeans are not in a state to be able to solve the refugee crisis ourselves, if we only depend on Plan B…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/if-we-europeans-are-not-in-a-state-to-be-able-to-solve-the-refugee/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [Wayne Rooney has always made a great impression on me, even though I have only ever seen him on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabio-quagliarella/wayne-rooney-has-always-made-a-great-impression-on-me-even-though-i/) [Fabio Quagliarella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabio-quagliarella/) > [What an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-an-immense-impression-paris-made-upon-me-it-is-the-most/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [My movies, in general, I have the impression that when they finish of course they're never originally what you had in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-amenabar/my-movies-in-general-i-have-the-impression-that-when-they-finish-of/) [Alejandro Amenabar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-amenabar/) > [I think it's really important that I'm not the only model in the world that goes through personal problems. People forget that we're human.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/i-think-it-s-really-important-that-i-m-not-the-only-model-in-the/) [Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/) > [The impossibility of separating the nomenclature of a science from the science itself, is owing to this, that every branch of physical science must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-lavoisier/the-impossibility-of-separating-the-nomenclature-of-a-science-from/) [Antoine Lavoisier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-lavoisier/) Browse all 2,147 Impression quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Kahneman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opinions-and-our-impressions-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Impression" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opinions-and-our-impressions-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/daniel-kahneman-431_impression_we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opi_450186.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments.” — Daniel Kahneman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Kahneman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We're generally overconfident in our opinions...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opinions-and-our-impressions-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/we-re-generally-overconfident-in-our-opinions-and-our-impressions-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```