Confidence Is Everywhere, Competence Is Missing

We are living in the golden age of unearned confidence. People know almost nothing, doubt even less, and speak with the certainty of someone who just skimmed a headline and decided that was enough research for a lifetime. Volume has replaced knowledge, and the loudest person in the room is automatically treated like the expert, mostly because they refuse to shut up long enough to be questioned.

The internet has made this worse by handing everyone a microphone and a crowd. Being wrong no longer carries consequences — it just gets reframed as “my truth,” then defended aggressively. Correction is seen as violence, expertise is “elitist,” and the suggestion that someone might want to read a book first is treated like a personal attack.

What’s impressive is the confidence itself. Not the kind that comes from experience or competence, but the bold, unbothered confidence of someone who has never once been humbled by reality. It’s fearless, indestructible, and completely detached from facts. If confidence were fuel, we’d be flying. Unfortunately, it’s mostly hot air, and we’re all stuck breathing it.