Abstract Competing successfully often means choosing the right competitions to enter, preparing for them adequately, and knowing when to quit. Many psychological phenomena, however, lead people to misjudge how their skills, talents, and prospects compare to peers they are competing against. Typically, these psychological tendencies lead people to a sense of illusory superiority, in which people overestimate their chances in competition. Example phenomena include relying on self-flattering conceptions of skill, focusing on optimistic scenarios while neglecting pessimistic ones, emphasizing one’s intentions and agency in producing outcomes while neglecting the impact of external forces, failing to have the competence to fully recognize competence in others, and quizzically not considering the skills of others when making decisions about whether to compete with them. Some specific circumstances, however, lead to underestimation of self. Those with negative self-views may discount their performances unduly. Top performers may not know how distinctive their skills are. In short, mistaken or biased views of the self may lead people to make decisions about competition that undermine their potential success in them.
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