What's worse...

[Erts]

To overestimate yourself or to underestimate yourself?

My sister and I were having this discussion, neither of us were able to make up our minds.

Your thoughts?

[Kallisti]

Hmmm...that's a hard one.
I'd say to underestimate oneself. If you overestimate yourself you will try and fail, but if you underestimate yourself, you will never try.

[Erts]

Hmmm...that's a hard one.
I'd say to underestimate oneself. If you overestimate yourself you will try and fail, but if you underestimate yourself, you will never try.

True. But I also meant to overestimate yourself in other places as well.

Example, to overestimate how much people like you or underestimate?

[Mr. Mud]

In my honest opinion, it's a lot worse to think too much of yourself. So overestimating.

I mean, isn't better to do something so amazing you can't believe it yourself, or to overestimate yourself, and fail miserably?

[Thanatos 51-50]

Over-estimating is worse.

If you under-estimate yourself, all you get is a pleasent surprise.

[Ikialev]

Or you will feel even more useless.

[Kallisti]

Over-estimating is worse.

If you under-estimate yourself, all you get is a pleasent surprise.

Assuming, of course, that you even try. When was the last time you did something you knew you could never succeed at doing? People only rarely do that. To use a very cliche proverb (may the gods of writing and originality forgive me), you miss all of the shots you don't take.

[Mr. Mud]

Over-estimating is worse.

If you under-estimate yourself, all you get is a pleasent surprise.

That's why I set the bar low. I'm never disappointed! :smallwink:.

[Thajocoth]

Most people underestimate themselves. It's the safer bet, but yields lesser rewards. Overestimating oneself can lead to far better things, but can also lead to losing everything.

I think it's worse to underestimate oneself.

[Kallisti]

If you choose to expect less of yourself than you could, you're not underestimating yourself, you're choosing to be lazy.

I do the same thing, I'm not telling you off, but it doesn't really apply to this discussion.

[Yora]

Within limits, overestimating yourself is not really bad. Sure, you'll fail at times, but if it makes you expand your limits, that's not bad.
However I don't see any gain with doing less than you could.

[Perenelle]

I think over estimating is worse because if you were to fail, you'd fall harder and it'd be harder to pick yourself up again. if you get what i'm saying.

If you underestimate yourself, you may not have as many opportunities but I dont think you'd necessarily be as disappointed about failing at something if you expected it compared to failing when you expected to succeed.

[Mr. Mud]

To use a very cliche proverb (may the gods of writing and originality forgive me), you miss all of the shots you don't take.

But does shooting a ball have negative effects, sans not putting forth the effort? Let's say I think I'm the bestest long jumper the world has ever known, and I try to jump across a 10 foot gap between two sides of a canyon. I definitely can't make the jump. If I'm overestimating myself, I fall to my death. If I'm underestimating myself, I walk back down the mountain maybe a little ashamed. But alive.

[Green Bean]

It's much worse to underestimate yourself, cuz then you'll underestimate how much you underestimate yourself, and never do anything. But if you overestimate how much you overestimate yourself, you'll have an accurate view of your abilities! :smallbiggrin:

[Yora]

That's obviously harmful, but I think all underestimate-proponents will agree, that it would also be harmful to underestimate yourself so much, that you don't get out of bed anymore, because you're usless.

[Kallisti]

Let's say you can make the jump. You're a big old football player, after all. If you overestimate yourself, you land on the other side, not as far as you'd expected, think to yourself "there must have been a breeze. That's it. That's why I only made it this far over." Then you go on, and find the Wand of Wizardly Wonder at the top of the mountain, or whatever it was that had you jumping chasms in the first place. If you underestimate yourself, though, you never get to find out what was at the top of the mountain.

Better to live a short time than exist a long one. And if you can't see the difference, I'm sorry for you.

[Spiryt]

Let's say you can make the jump. You're a big old football player, after all. If you overestimate yourself, you land on the other side, not as far as you'd expected, think to yourself "there must have been a breeze. That's it. That's why I only made it this far over." Then you go on, and find the Wand of Wizardly Wonder at the top of the mountain, or whatever it was that had you jumping chasms in the first place. If you underestimate yourself, though, you never get to find out what was at the top of the mountain.

Better to live a short time than exist a long one. And if you can't see the difference, I'm sorry for you.

Or you can live a long paralysed life from spine injuries you received beacuse jump was a bit too short.

So I think that circumstances in which you can over or under estimate yourself are most important. Debating about abstract is meh. :smalltongue:

[Cobra_Ikari]

Neither.

If you overestimate yourself, and try something beyond your physical limits, you'll probably end up hurt.

If you underestimate yourself, and never try, you'll never succeed.

I think the key is to err on the side of underestimating your abilities, but still have the courage to try for things you probably won't, but might, succeed at. Having the wisdom to recognize what is worth trying for and what will lead to disastrous consequences should you fail is also important.

[Miss Nobody]

In my honest opinion, it's a lot worse to think too much of yourself. So overestimating.

I mean, isn't better to do something so amazing you can't believe it yourself, or to overestimate yourself, and fail miserably?

I agree. If you overestimate yourself and fail, you get some major disappointment. If you underestimate yourself, you get a big surprise when you achieve something you'd never have considered yourself capable of, and failure doesn't affect you so much because you never had great expectations.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Assuming, of course, that you even try. When was the last time you did something you knew you could never succeed at doing? People only rarely do that. To use a very cliche proverb (may the gods of writing and originality forgive me), you miss all of the shots you don't take.

To steal your metaphor without shame:
I don't think I can jump the pit, but I need to get across, okay, so I'll find some way to improve my chances. I'll build a makeshift bridge, I'll swing over on a rope, I will find a way to garuntee success.
All else fails, I'll try to make the bloody jump, anyway, after skewing probability in my favour as much as possible.

If I overestimate myself, I fall in the pit and die. And I don't get the Holy Macguffin and the world burns.

[skywalker]

Neither.

If you overestimate yourself, and try something beyond your physical limits, you'll probably end up hurt.

If you underestimate yourself, and never try, you'll never succeed.

I think the key is to err on the side of underestimating your abilities, but still have the courage to try for things you probably won't, but might, succeed at. Having the wisdom to recognize what is worth trying for and what will lead to disastrous consequences should you fail is also important.

Good call.

Wayne Gretzky is the one who said "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

One of my dad's friends once told me "Son, if you don't feed your ego, how do you expect it to grow?" Same principle. Overestimate and then stretch. Obviously, don't overestimate in situations where you might get killed. But in other situations, yes.

[thubby]

i don't know about better or worse, but it's substantially more dangerous to overestimate yourself.

[Mr. Mud]

Let's say you can make the jump. You're a big old football player, after all. If you overestimate yourself, you land on the other side, not as far as you'd expected, think to yourself "there must have been a breeze. That's it. That's why I only made it this far over." Then you go on, and find the Wand of Wizardly Wonder at the top of the mountain, or whatever it was that had you jumping chasms in the first place. If you underestimate yourself, though, you never get to find out what was at the top of the mountain.

It's not physically jumping to the other side that's being (over/under)estimated here. It's the chance you have of making that leap. If you land prim and proper, good, but how many more times are you going to take that risk?


Better to live a short time than exist a long one.

Why?

[SurlySeraph]

Neither.

If you overestimate yourself, and try something beyond your physical limits, you'll probably end up hurt.

If you underestimate yourself, and never try, you'll never succeed.

I think the key is to err on the side of underestimating your abilities, but still have the courage to try for things you probably won't, but might, succeed at. Having the wisdom to recognize what is worth trying for and what will lead to disastrous consequences should you fail is also important.

Cobra brings the wisdom.

[Thanatos 51-50]

"Son, if you don't feed your ego, how do you expect it to grow?"

"I don't. I want it to starve and wither and die so my foolish pride can't end up getting anybody killed."
An answer like that would get me praised growing up.

[Setra]

Speaking as someone with both problems I'd have to say it depends...

Just because you overestimate yourself, doesn't necessarily mean you will fail. If you are overconfident about an ability you have, then it's not usually too bad, if you're overconfident about something you don't have, things tend to get messy.

If you only underestimate a little, you'll still try and most likely succeed at whatever you bother trying. If you have huge self esteem issues then you're probably worse off than the guy above who's overconfident about abilities he doesn't have... because at least they feel good about themselves.

[Yora]

Even if you fail, the consequences don't have to be very severe.

Let's say I overestimate myself and think I can run a marathon. Turns out I don't and I have to stop after 36 km.
Let's say I overestimate myself and think I can read a book in a foreign language. Turns out I don't and I have to put it back and try again in a year or two.
Let's say I overestimate myself and think I can repair the sink by myself. Turns out I don't and I have to call my dad to ask him what I have to do.
Let's say I overestimate myself and think I can take three additional classes in a semester. Turns out I can't keep up with the workload and I have to drop two of them and do them next year.

I'd say in 19 out of 20 situations where you overestimate yourself, there's no real damage done and you have a slight inconvenience at worst. There's a big differences between getting as high a result as you expected, and running blindly into disaster.

[SDF]

If you overestimate yourself, worst case scenario, you end up with a war on two fronts involving Russia.

If you underestimate yourself, worst case scenario, I've never heard of you so who cares?

[Green Bean]

If you underestimate yourself, worst case scenario, I've never heard of you so who cares?

If you underestimate yourself, worst case scenario, you don't think you're good enough to try and learn to feed yourself, and you die alone and unloved in a pit of your own filth.
Hey, you said worst case scenario, not plausible ;-P

[Spiryt]

If you overestimate yourself, worst case scenario, you end up with a war on two fronts involving Russia.

If you underestimate yourself, worst case scenario, I've never heard of you so who cares?

I assume it's pro underestimate argument. :smalltongue:

[Yora]

But we didn't hear about it.

But well, let all the pesimist naysayers have their way. Makes the rest of us feeling even more better than we really are. :smallbiggrin:

[Winterwind]

On the other hand, if you underestimate yourself, you'll end up modest, which is a likeable trait at best and mildly annoying at worst. If you overestimate yourself, you'll end up arrogant, which is extremely unlikeable no matter what.

[Morty]

I don't think either can be said to be worse than the other. Overestimating yourself can lead to more, let's say, spectacular and immediate consequences, but underestimating yourself can hurt you just as badly in the long run.

[Yora]

Or you get admired because you can do so many things. Things that everyone could do, if they have the confidence. And if you really could not do them, you looked at least couragous and confident, and can show confidence when getting expert help. Confidently calling someone for help and appearing to know whats wrong still seems to impress people who lack the confidence to do so.

And I can't think of any case where I think modesty is likeable when it comes from lack of confidence. It's just anoying. Modesty because you can accept that you have reached your limits seems much more likeable to me. Having courage to try is not braging.

[Green Bean]

On the other hand, if you underestimate yourself, you'll end up modest, which is a likeable trait at best and mildly annoying at worst. If you overestimate yourself, you'll end up arrogant, which is extremely unlikeable no matter what.

Ever been around someone who constantly belittles themselves? It gets annoying, fast.

[Spiryt]

Ever been around someone who constantly belittles themselves? It gets annoying, fast.

You clearly didn't see someone who belittles himself so completely unannoingly as I do. :smallamused:

[Coidzor]

overestimation generally is resolved more quickly by the way of the world. Whereas underestimation can be much more persistent.

Generally though, overestimation can lead to tragic accidents more often than underestimation, so it's more... physically dangerous to the person possessing it in general.

Ed:
Depends on if you can make the self-deprecation humorous or not and even then it'll get old if it's an actual tempo.

[Yora]

You clearly didn't see someone who belittles himself so completely unannoingly as I do. :smallamused:
Well, if you're really awsome, than nobody would notice that you underestimate yourself. :smallbiggrin:

[Zanaril]

Underestimating yourself.

You're the only one who can decide you can do better; leave it to the rest of the world to tell you if you can't.


There's a difference between overestimating then adjusting accordingly, and just acting like a jerk.

[Pyrian]

Random fact: Non-depressed human beings, generally speaking, over-estimate their skills almost continuously under normal circumstances. Approximately 80% of people consider themselves "better than average" at just about any subject you'd care to study.

This is normal and probably adaptive.

Depressed people, in contrast, are usually pretty accurate about assessing their own abilities. The evidence goes further: being accurate in assessing your own abilities is a risk factor for depression, i.e., non-depressed people who are good at assessing their own skills are more likely to become depressed later. :smallsigh:

[Green Bean]

Depressed people, in contrast, are usually pretty accurate about assessing their own abilities. The evidence goes further: being accurate in assessing your own abilities is a risk factor for depression, i.e., non-depressed people who are good at assessing their own skills are more likely to become depressed later. :smallsigh:

Okay, I'm definitely going to have to ask for a source on this one. Most of what I've learned about depression suggests the opposite, that depressed people are far more likely to woefully underestimate their own abilities, and that it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Cubey]

Underestimating yourself is way worse, because it can turn you into an angsty emo that sits in its room all day doing nothing, which will not only mean you achieve very little in life if ever, but also makes you annoying to others so they try to avoid you and your social life suffers as well.

On the other hand, overestimating leads to catastrophic failures, but it also often leads to unexpected successes. Even if someone is a smug jerk about it, they're unliked BUT achieve success. Compare to underestimating yourself, where in worst case you are unliked AND achieve no success.

[Winterwind]

Ever been around someone who constantly belittles themselves? It gets annoying, fast.In fact, yes, I have. Quite often even.
And yes, it can get annoying, quite a bit if they do it for long enough.
I'll still take such people over arrogant a-holes who think themselves superior to everyone around while being so very, very wrong any day.

[Lioness]

I'd have to argue that overestimating yourself is worse, because, as has previously been mention you

a) can end up arrogant

and

b) take dangerous risks trying to do something you think you can

Sure, underestimating yourself can get annoying, and you may never get anywhere in life, but you're not dead. You also don't annoy people by being arrogant. Arrogant people are my pet hate (so I may be just a little bit biased)

[Green Bean]

In fact, yes, I have. Quite often even.
And yes, it can get annoying, quite a bit if they do it for long enough.
I'll still take such people over arrogant a-holes who think themselves superior to everyone around while being so very, very wrong any day.

Well, I suppose that's a matter of personal tolerance, so there's no real right or wrong in either case. I will say that overestimating yourself doesn't inevitably lead to being an arrogant blowhard any more than underestimating yourself always leads to sitting in a dark room flagellating yourself.

[Cobra_Ikari]

I'd have to argue that overestimating yourself is worse, because, as has previously been mention you

a) can end up arrogant

and

b) take dangerous risks trying to do something you think you can

Sure, underestimating yourself can get annoying, and you may never get anywhere in life, but you're not dead. You also don't annoy people by being arrogant. Arrogant people are my pet hate (so I may be just a little bit biased)

Same here. Arrogance is the most unattractive human trait.

>.> *thinks he has the best course of action* >.>

[Pyrian]

Okay, I'm definitely going to have to ask for a source on this one.See Learned Optimism chapter 6 for a discussion of the (rather substantial) evidence. Otherwise, look into Alloy and Abramson or Alloy and Clements. For example, "Illusion of Control: Invulnerability to Negative Affect and Depressive Symptoms After Laboratory and Natural Stressors," Journal of Abnormal Psychology 101 (1992): 234-45.


Most of what I've learned about depression suggests the opposite, that depressed people are far more likely to woefully underestimate their own abilities, and that it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.It might be better said that depressives correctly estimate their own abilities, and this leads them to not want to fail, in contrast to normal people, who assume they can accomplish more than they actually can, thereby failing but making progress.

[Winterwind]

Well, I suppose that's a matter of personal tolerance, so there's no real right or wrong in either case. I will say that overestimating yourself doesn't inevitably lead to being an arrogant blowhard any more than underestimating yourself always leads to sitting in a dark room flagellating yourself.Sounds reasonable. I stand by my word that, even if overestimation may not lead to arrogance any more often than underestimation to self-flagellation, it certainly doesn't do it less often either (in my personal experience it actually does lead to arrogance more often by a fair margin, but I realize the personal experience of just one human being does not a reliable statistic make), and if it does the result is far more annoying to my personal taste (you are quite correct about it being just personal taste though).

[Umael]

Motivation and circumstances were not included, only a subjective judgment of over-estimation versus under-estimation.

In the unrealistic vacuum empty of motivation and circumstances, we have no way of measuring whether we would test our skills and what the price of failure will be.

In the example of jumping a pit, we can assume that failure is doom, while success, the motivation is... what? To prove to ourselves that we can jump ten feet?

I'm sorry, but I don't care if the gap is two feet and I can WALK over it. I'm not going over a two-foot gap that leads to certain death if I fail just to prove that I can do it! I'm not that big on flirting with death for the adrenaline rush (which, incidentally, is a form of motivation and reward, but I'm not motivated)!

Now, you put a fire-breathing monster that wants to kill me on the same side of the gap, that's motivation!

On the other hand, if the price of failure is being mocked by my peers because "white man can't jump", okay, I'm game. My dignity can handle the price of failure. Even if the gap is ten feet - I can't jump ten feet - but I'll talk like I can. Why? Because I'm motivated to try.

I might even believe it and be overestimating my leaping ability. Or I might not believe it and be underestimating my leaping ability. Which is worse? "Yeah, told you I could!" or "Wow, I didn't think I could do that!" "Damn, thought I could make it!" or "Yeah, didn't think I would do it!"

But wait - if it is overestimation, that means I thought I could do it, but didn't. "Damn, I thought I could make it!" If it is underestimation, that means I thought I couldn't do it, but did. "Wow, I didn't think I could do that!"

Well, in this example, I would prefer to go with overestimating - because I was pushing myself. If I underestimated, it would be too easy to subconsciously be holding myself back - after all, if I think I'm going to fail and I do fail, I prove myself right, so I still "win" - which is no win at all.

Now go back to that pit of doom and I think I'll stay comfortably with underestimating my jumping skills, thank you very much.

[Thanatos 51-50]

So, because I think I can't, because I'm not good enough somehow automatically means I won't try?
This, I can say with confidence and evidence of me still being alive and employed by the government, is incorrect.
Like I said - If I underestimate myself, I'll use whatever dirty tactic to make sure I can win. It's the same as working smarter, no harder.
If I think I can, or can, no problem, and I fail, then I've failed, and in the case of a one-time-only offer, it's gone forever.

I am a depressing sack of self-depreciating good-for-nothing idiot. What I am not is a coward. I won't back down just because I'm presented with a challenge.

[Green Bean]

See Learned Optimism chapter 6 for a discussion of the (rather substantial) evidence. Otherwise, look into Alloy and Abramson or Alloy and Clements. For example, "Illusion of Control: Invulnerability to Negative Affect and Depressive Symptoms After Laboratory and Natural Stressors," Journal of Abnormal Psychology 101 (1992): 234-45.

It might be better said that depressives correctly estimate their own abilities, and this leads them to not want to fail, in contrast to normal people, who assume they can accomplish more than they actually can, thereby failing but making progress.

Looking at "Illusion of Control", it doesn't really prove that depressives are more likely to be correct in evaluating their own abilities. After all, pessimists and depressives are more likely in general to assume lack of personal control, regardless of whether it's true or not. If you ran the same experiment, except the subjects did have an measure of control over the results, then those with depressive symptoms would be the incorrect ones.

[Setra]

Same here. Arrogance is the most unattractive human trait.

>.> *thinks he has the best course of action* >.>
And yet Confidence is one of the most attractive, people who overestimate won't necessarily be arrogant *******s, they could just come off as very confident.

[Sneak]

Underestimating yourself is definitely better than overestimating yourself, because it means you're more likely to succeed and gives you a nice pleasant surprise.

I will say, however, that chronic overconfidence is probably better for one's wellbeing and happiness than chronic underconfidence, for obvious reasons. Of course, other people generally like underconfident people more than overconfident people.

[Thajocoth]

An arrogant person is one who feels the need to let everyone know how awesome they are. If one believes themselves to be awesome enough, they shouldn't care how awesome others think they are. So arrogance is really not an overestimation trait as people suggest.

I've found that I'll generally do exactly as well as I expect to, so I lean towards overestimation to push that boundary. If I wanted to sit around doing nothing all day, all I'd have to do is believe myself incapable of success and stop trying.

Even if I wind up leaping off a skyscraper one day because I think I can land on the next roof, I'll still be glad I lived my life instead of fearing it, thinking I can't do anything right. And hey, it's possible to survive such a fall, so I'd be optimistic right up until the pavement strikes. :smallamused:

[Nomrom]

I would say underestimating yourself is worse. I have a serious problem where I underestimate myself a lot, and I know it has hurt me.

[Insert Name Here]

I think it depends on how you take it.
I couldn't stand myself at all if I erred on the side of overestimating myself.

But if you can underestimate yourself and actually put forth the effort with expectations of failure, then isn't that the better part of both worlds? I mean, you 'live' so long as you put forth the effort and try, but then in general you get more pleasant surprises than disappointments, and come off as modest instead of arrogant.

If one immediately equates "underestimating oneself" to "never trying", then sure, that's the worse option. It's simply that I believe that saying they are the same is an untrue overgeneralization; if nothing else it's not how I work.

[Coidzor]

The thousand little deaths of the coward on the other hand, probably a greater chance of that happening with underestimation than the real death's chances from overestimation...

Since generally people don't overestimate themselves so much as to, say, try to take out a fully grown dragon as a level one fighter.

Well, both of them can and will bite you in the butt. Especially with how many interpretations of what it means in the first place being flung about...

So, the one has the more likely ramifications of being too easily discouraged and not striving or improving oneself and the other has the more severe ramifications of getting oneself killed...

[xPANCAKEx]

depends on degree.... but i'd say underestimate is worse by a LONG shot

[Pyrian]

If you ran the same experiment, except the subjects did have an measure of control over the results, then those with depressive symptoms would be the incorrect ones.You are gravely mistaken. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/528910)

From the abstract:
In the experiments, depressed and nondepressed students were present with one of a series of problems varying in the actual degree of contingency. In each problem, subjects estimated the degree of contingency between their responses (pressing or not pressing a button) and an environmental outcome (onset of a green light). ... Depressed students' judgments of contingency were surprisingly accurate in all four experiments.

I doubt you could dream up a study that hasn't been tried, there was a good decade of this sort of stuff, people trying to prove that undepressed people were realistic and depressive people pessimistic. It's just not true. Depressives are generally realistic and undepressed are generally optimistic. Nobody wanted to admit that sometimes realism is the problem. But a veritable mountain of hard evidence says exactly that.

Look, I'm not making this stuff up. It's a long-since well-established fact that realism (AKA cynicism!) and depression are correlated, and that normal adaptive behavior is essentially greased in optimistic illusions. What "normal" people call pessimism is in most cases merely realism - it seems pessimistic because optimism is normal (and, generally speaking, more effective - except, of course, at risk management).

I have no personal attachment to this. I'm not a psychologist. It's just some stuff I've read. If you really want to further dispute it, take it up with Seligman, Alloy, Abramson, Clements, and so forth.

[UnChosenOne]

Overestimate yourself is worse, after all if you underestimate yourself you end up looking like modest person, if you overestimate yourself you end up looking like agrorant bastrad.

[742]

some tasks should be approached conservatively-anything involving a ring of fire or a tank of sharks is a great example.

some should not-anything social not involving sharks, or involving sharks in a roundabout manner such as a discussion of shark week or courtship of a marine biologist.

[Green Bean]

I doubt you could dream up a study that hasn't been tried, there was a good decade of this sort of stuff, people trying to prove that undepressed people were realistic and depressive people pessimistic. It's just not true. Depressives are generally realistic and undepressed are generally optimistic. Nobody wanted to admit that sometimes realism is the problem. But a veritable mountain of hard evidence says exactly that.

Look, I'm not making this stuff up. It's a long-since well-established fact that realism (AKA cynicism!) and depression are correlated, and that normal adaptive behavior is essentially greased in optimistic illusions. What "normal" people call pessimism is in most cases merely realism - it seems pessimistic because optimism is normal (and, generally speaking, more effective - except, of course, at risk management).

I have no personal attachment to this. I'm not a psychologist. It's just some stuff I've read. If you really want to further dispute it, take it up with Seligman, Alloy, Abramson, Clements, and so forth.

Looking at some other articles (nothing involved, just running "depressive realism" through a journal search), that doesn't really look like a well-established fact. Most of the stuff goes over my head, but for every article in favour depressive realism, you can find an article disagreeing. I'm not exactly a psychology student either; I've only got access to this stuff because I'm taking unrelated courses at school, but this is looking like one of those Big Academic Debates, like nature vs nurture, between two schools of thought. I'm certainly not deep enough in the field to make a call either way.


Anyway, an interesting thought about overestimating/underestimating yourself. Is it just about positive things? Can you over or underestimate the bad things about yourself? Is it better to think that you're more or less of a jerk than you actually are?

[Yora]

I doubt you can scientifically work with pessimism, realism, and optimism. But the optimist and the pessimist can claim realism even though they have opposed ideas.
And then there's the seld-fulfilling prediction. If a pessimist say he can't do a thing, guess what, he will really not succeed or at least claim that the result was not a success. So, suprise!, he knew right and was realistic!

If you aim to fail, you'll always fail!

On the other hand, all that crap about "you'll only fail when you give up" or "if you don't fight, you've allready lost" is just nonsense. That's not optimistic, that's delusional.

[Killer Angel]

If you overestimate yourself, and try something beyond your physical limits, you'll probably end up hurt.

If you underestimate yourself, and never try, you'll never succeed.


Overestimating yourself in physical activities can have very harmful results, while underestimating yourself, keeps you safe.

On the other side, underestimating yourself, will render horrible your life. You'll fail interrogation at school, you'll never get good job offers.
Underestimating yourself, brings unsecurity, brings the attitude "I cannot do it", and you are going to fail, even if it were in your potential to succeed.

Both are bad, but in different ways, and in different fields.

[Kjata]

I underestimate myself constantly, and am suffering from crippling depression currently. A few of my good friends are overconfident, and look like an ass a lot. I never look like an ass, because nobody sees me. I sit at home, occasionally getting high to calm down when I feel like I'm going insane at how useless I am.

Goddammit.