As Einstein said: “everything is relative”, especially when it comes to our personal lives. We are simply unable to judge it with impartiality.
Depending on what we’re talking about, we always have things we overestimate or underestimate, shamelessly! And most of the time, we don’t even know we’re doing it!
Just think about it. When on a diet, haven’t you ever cheated by underestimating how much you had eaten? So, you can have a little dessert after all. Or, when in doubt about buying or not a gorgeous new outfit you “really-really need”, don’t you underestimate the expenses you’ve had so far?
And just try asking a mother about her kids! Of course, she will tell you her baby is the cutest baby on earth. We, mothers, are experts in overestimation. So, check if our list of things we overestimate and underestimate is accurate.
5 things we underestimate:
1- The amount of food we eat.
The box of chocolates wasn’t that big after all, it was just a scoop of ice cream, with a little topping, oh yes, and some bits of marshmallow on the top, no big deal.
2 – The amount of alcohol we drink.
I’ve just had a couple of glasses of wine, I’m not drunk, well, okay, maybe just a tad tipsy…
3- The amount of time we waste on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.
I’m just going to have a quick look at what is going on in the virtual world and will be back to work in a sec.
4- How strong we are.
We have no idea how much strength we really have until we face a difficult situation and, to our surprise, are able to not only withstand but also, overcome it.
5- How much do our trips cost.
When planning our vacations, somehow we always “forget” to include all the extra costs, telling us that we will only spend on the hotel and flights even when we know all too well that this will never happen!
5 things we overestimate:
1- Our dancing and singing abilities.
It is very common to overestimate dancing and singing skills, especially after having underestimated the amount of alcohol one had. By the way, the same goes with wit and charm…
2- How young we look.
Nobody goes to a High-school reunion and thinks: ”My God, how I’ve aged!” In fact, it is usually quite the opposite, we have the impression everyone’s aged but we still look and feel young for our age. I guess this kind of overestimation is nature trying to protect us from self-destruction and extinction!
3- How well we cook.
And our nice friends won’t tell us otherwise.
4- How well we drive.
Not to mention how well we parallel park!
5- How much do we have to do.
We fill our To Do’s lists with never-ending tasks that are impossible for any normal human being to achieve in only 24 hours and then we feel guilty about not doing everything. So the next step is, naturally, underestimating how much time we spend with our friends and making it up to them by meeting for Happy Hour!