Date: 11/01/2023 Shift: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM Q. No: 80

Why does a person become overconfident? The reason lies in over assessment of his capabilities. Sometimes people over assess their (1) _________ and jump into situations that are beyond their control.
Napoleon Bonaparte who became Emperor of France would say that the word ‘impossible’ was common only (2) _______ fools. The overconfident Napoleon invaded Russia in the winter of 1812. This proved to be a big disaster.
Overconfidence generally (3) ______ people into misadventures, endangering their chances in life. It is wisely said that any achievement is a result of two factors – one’s personal planning and support from the external world. People take into account only their planning, generally ignoring external factors. As a result they are unable to (4) ________ future developments. Hence, a great risk of failure.
Then there is the question: how can one manage overconfidence? The formula is very simple. Before making a decision, discuss the matter with other informed people with an objective mind and when it is proved that you are about to go off the path, accept reality and say without delay, “I was wrong”.
Overconfidence is a (5) ________ characterising people who lack the virtue of modesty. Modesty makes you a realist; you become a person who is cut down to size. People of this kind become very cautious; before taking an action they assess the whole situation. They adopt a realistic approach.