Self-Confidence and Personal Motivation

@article{Bnabou2002SelfConfidenceAP,
  title={Self-Confidence and Personal Motivation},
  author={Roland B{\'e}nabou and Jean Tirole},
  journal={Quarterly Journal of Economics},
  year={2002},
  volume={117},
  pages={871-915}
}
We analyze the value placed by rational agents on self-confidence, and the strategies employed in its pursuit. Confidence in one's abilities generally enhances motivation, making it a valuable asset for individuals with imperfect willpower. This demand for self-serving beliefs (which can also arise from hedonic or signaling motives) must be weighed against the risks of overconfidence. On the supply side, we develop a model of self-deception through endogenous memory that reconciles the… 
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