Why Incompetent People seem more Confident.

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.

I was on one of those huge red coaster buses heading home from a friend’s place. I opted to seat the farthest end of the bus to be as far away from the rest of the passengers. This was during the earliest onset of the COVID-19 virus, and I was wary of human contact.

I attempted to make myself as invincible as I could manage by sitting cramped into a corner, with my nose hidden behind a book. At the next stop, I glance up as the driver picks up two new passengers, both of whom lumber to the back of the bus and slump down beside me despite the acres of free spaces in front.

As the journey continues, these birds-of-a-feather start a loud conversation that carried all the way to the front. The other passengers all had their heads turned with stunned looks. Not only did they rob me of my haven, but I was distracted from my book by their incessant yammering.

I had no other option than to listen. It was the most ridiculous exchange I had ever heard. The conversation ranged from exaggerated and inflated description of their abilities, to how much knowledge they possessed, to blurting out barrages of opinions and conspiracy theories, including how the coronavirus was just a…