Delusion study must be right

SELF delusion is a winning strategy for survival, according to a new study.

Edinburgh University researchers believe harbouring a mistakenly inflated belief that we can easily meet challenges or win conflicts is good for us.

The researchers have shown for the first time that over- confidence actually beats accurate assessments in a wide variety of situations, be it sport, business or even war.

The study also highlights the flip-side to over-confidence by citing the 2008 financial crash and the 2003 Iraq war as just two examples of when over-confidence backfired.

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