overconfidence
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overconfidence
The trait or act of judging one's own abilities, knowledge, or strength to be significantly greater than they actually are. This often leads to misjudgments and failures.
Aus reiner Selbstüberschätzung dachte er, er könne das Projekt ganz allein fertigstellen.
Out of pure overconfidence, he thought he could finish the project entirely on his own.
The word is clearly composed of 'Selbst-' (self-) and 'Überschätzung' (overestimation). 'Überschätzung' is derived from the verb 'überschätzen' (to overestimate). So it describes the act of assessing oneself too highly.
Seine Niederlage war die Folge purer Selbstüberschätzung.
His defeat was the result of pure overconfidence.
'Selbstüberschätzung' (overconfidence) is very often used with the preposition 'aus' (out of) to name the reason for an action or a mistake: 'Er handelte aus Selbstüberschätzung.' (He acted out of overconfidence.)
Aus Selbstüberschätzung hat sie die Prüfung ohne Vorbereitung versucht und ist durchgefallen.
Out of overconfidence, she attempted the exam without preparation and failed.
The noun 'die Selbstüberschätzung' (overconfidence) is directly related to the reflexive verb 'sich überschätzen' (to overestimate oneself). The sentence 'Er überschätzte sich' (He overestimated himself) has a very similar meaning to 'Er litt an Selbstüberschätzung' (He suffered from overconfidence).
Pass auf, dass du dich bei diesem Projekt nicht überschätzt.
Be careful not to overestimate yourself with this project.
self-confidence / self-awareness
'Selbstbewusstsein' and 'Selbstüberschätzung' both have to do with judging your own abilities. 'Selbstbewusstsein' is positive: you trust yourself and can appear confident. 'Selbstüberschätzung' is negative: you think you are better or stronger than you really are. That is why overconfidence often leads to mistakes or problems. Learners may confuse the words because both sound like having a strong opinion of yourself. The important difference is the degree: 'Selbstbewusstsein' is healthy confidence, while 'Selbstüberschätzung' is too much confidence without a realistic basis.
Aus Selbstüberschätzung hat Moritz die schwierige Wanderung ohne Vorbereitung begonnen.
Out of overconfidence, Moritz started the difficult hike without any preparation.
Der Kurs hat meiner Nachbarin mehr Selbstbewusstsein beim Sprechen gegeben.
The course gave my neighbor more confidence when speaking.