The Privileged Self

The video explores how we perceive ourselves differently from others, focusing on concepts like positive illusions, the spotlight effect, self-serving biases, and the Dunning-Kruger effect. It discusses how these biases shape our self-image and influence our judgments and interactions with others. The totalitarian ego theory is introduced, explaining how our minds maintain a positive self-image by controlling information processing.

What is one reason we tend to have positive illusions about ourselves?

• We are always objective.

• We are naturally pessimistic.

• We want to maintain a positive self-view.

• We have perfect information about others.

The spotlight effect is the tendency to:

• Ignore how much others notice us.

• Underestimate how much others notice us.

• Accurately assess how much others notice us.

• Overestimate how much others notice us.

What is the better-than-average effect?

• The tendency to accurately assess our abilities.

• The belief that we are better than average.

• The tendency to think we are worse than average.

• The belief that others are better than us.

Which effect explains why people with little knowledge overestimate their abilities?

• Confirmation bias

• Self-serving bias

• Dunning-Kruger effect

• Spotlight effect

How do we typically attribute our own failures?

• To others' actions

• To luck

• To external factors

• To internal factors

What is a self-serving bias?

• The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

• The tendency to attribute failures to internal factors.

• The tendency to attribute failures to luck.

• The tendency to attribute successes to others.

Why do we often maintain a positive self-image despite evidence to the contrary?

• Because we have perfect self-awareness.

• Due to the totalitarian ego controlling information.

• Due to external validation.

• Because we are always objective.