Why Being Delusional is a Superpower

12 insights saved from this video by @psychology

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In a group experiment, a randomly assigned leader consistently received an extra cookie despite no greater aptitude or responsibility.
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Multi-author papers reveal a bizarre math problem: authors’ contribution estimates add up to about 140%.
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A NASA astronaut simulation weighted skill 95% and luck 5%, yet selected astronauts averaged a luck score of 94.7.
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In many years, 40% of top-tier hockey players were born in the first quarter, versus 10% in the fourth.
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People who explained a good event through their own qualities donated 25% less to charity than those crediting external factors.
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Being born in Burundi, where gross national income per person is roughly $730 yearly, sharply constrains adult earnings.
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People overestimate their share of fights and messes too, so this bias is not just about looking helpful.
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After gaining status partly through chance, people often interpret that status as deserved and its privileges as natural.
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People respond more favorably to successful entrepreneurs who credit luck than to entrepreneurs who take personal credit.
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Successful leaders see their own hard work, not the equally hardworking people who failed. That is survivor bias.
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Success can hide the roads, schools, public services, clean environment, and inherited conditions that made it possible.
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Noticing fortunate events makes people happier by making gratitude possible.

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