Abstract

75% of people overestimate themselves? Why do mediocre people tend to exaggerate their abilities?

People who project an aura of competence despite unremarkable results, those who boast excessively about their superficial social network, those who claim to be "perfect!" but whose practical skills are riddled with flaws...

What is the true nature of "those people" who try to make themselves seem more important than they are? Focusing on the inflated need for approval and anxiety about evaluation brought about by the spread of social media, this book unravels the psychological structure of modern people. Why are they unaware of their own pathetic state? We delve into the psychological mechanisms of those with an excessive need for approval!

- Skilled at self-promotion in interviews, making a good impression on HR.
- Makes confident statements like "I can definitely do it" even on projects with uncertain elements.
- Takes a condescending attitude towards colleagues who diligently do mundane work.
- Uploads significantly exaggerated profiles to social media.
- Occasionally uses foreign words and technical jargon in meetings and discussions.
- Likes to pick fights with people who perform worse than him.
- Likes to boast about the number of followers and friends/acquaintances he has.
- When asked a question, he says "Just a moment" and starts searching the internet, and when pressed for an answer, he can't answer it himself.
- Always hangs out with peers and colleagues who are similar to him.

Author’s Information

He holds a PhD in Psychology. Born in Tokyo in 1955, he graduated from the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Tokyo. After working in the market research department at Toshiba, he withdrew from the doctoral program in psychology at Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School. He has held positions such as lecturer at Kawamura Junior College, visiting researcher at the University of California, and associate professor at Osaka University Graduate School, and is currently the representative of MP Human Science Institute. His numerous publications include "People Who Cannot Follow Instructions," "What Makes Kids Good at Studying," "What Makes Kids Succeed," "What Makes Kids Thrive," "What Makes Kids Read," "Praise Makes Kids Worse," "The Education Field is in Trouble," and "The Structure of a 'Condescending Attitude'."