You May Be More Creative and Persuasive Than You Think

The page argues that many people misjudge their own chances of success in areas linked to professional performance. It says science suggests we often underestimate how creative we can be and how persuasive we can be with others.

Reading notes

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• An old saying and research on regret are used to frame the idea that not trying can be the surest route to failure.
• A Northwestern University study found that people underestimated how many creative solutions they could produce in a set time, which suggests they may give up too quickly during trial-and-error work.
• A separate study discussed by Vanessa K. Bohns found that people underestimated their persuasiveness in tasks like asking for donations or survey responses.
• The page says people imagine the cost of saying yes more vividly than the awkwardness of saying no, which makes requests seem harder to win than they often are.
• It closes by saying that self-doubt can keep people from reaching their potential and that remembering this can give a quick boost of courage.