You ever talk to someone who clearly has absolutely no idea what they're talking about, but somehow they're 100% certain they're right?

Not 90% right.

Not “I could be wrong, but…”

Nope.

They've apparently been personally appointed by the universe as the final authority on the subject.

You could show them facts. You could show them documentation. You could show them proof. Hell, you could probably bring in the person who actually invented the damn thing, and they'd still look at you and say:

“Yeah, but that's not how it works.”

Oh really?

Please, enlighten me.

Because apparently your five-minute conversation with some guy at the gas station qualifies you as an expert.

Confidence vs. Knowledge

This is one of the strangest things about people. Confidence and knowledge are apparently no longer required to be related.

Some people don't actually know something.

They just believe they know something.

And there's a huge difference.

Knowing something means you've learned it, experienced it, researched it, or have some legitimate reason to understand it.

Believing something means you heard it somewhere, filled in the blanks yourself, and decided it was now a fact.

But once some people make up their minds, that's it.

Case closed.

Evidence doesn't matter.

Facts don't matter.

Logic doesn't matter.

And apparently reality itself is just another opinion.

“Trust Me, I Know What I'm Talking About”

The funniest part is how confidently they'll explain it to you.

They'll start with:

“Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.”

That's usually when I start becoming concerned.

Because the people who actually know what they're talking about usually don't have to convince you they're an expert. They can explain why they believe something. They can answer questions. They can admit when they don't know.

Someone who says, “I don't know,” is often a hell of a lot smarter than the person who has an answer for absolutely everything.

There's nothing wrong with not knowing.

Nobody knows everything.

I sure as hell don't.

If I don't know something, I'll say I don't know. I'll look it up. I'll learn something. Maybe I'll even change my mind when I discover I was wrong.

Apparently, that's becoming a rare skill.

Instead, we have people walking around with an incredible amount of confidence and remarkably little information.

And somehow, the less they know, the more certain they seem to be.

It's almost impressive.

Almost.

Confidence Isn't Proof

So the next time somebody tells you something with absolute certainty, remember:

• Confidence isn't proof.
• Being loud isn't proof.
• Repeating something twenty times isn't proof.
• And saying “I swear to God, that's the truth” doesn't magically turn bullshit into facts.

Sometimes people simply don't know what the hell they're talking about.

They just really, really want you to believe they do.

And honestly?

“I'll take someone who says ‘I don't know’ over someone who confidently tells me a load of bullshit every damn time.”

At least “I don't know” has the potential to become knowledge.

Bullshit just keeps talking.