Tuning the fourth turning
People often think more highly of themselves than their behavior in fact reflects. This is the conclusion that Nicholas Epley and David Dunning (Cornell University) reached after a series of studies. In a variety of settings, they tested people's ability to predict their own behavior. Most described in a self-flattering way what they would do in a certain situation; but, when it came time to follow through on their predictions, they did not take the higher road they thought they would. It appears that the people did not really know themselves.