The Era of Unearned Confidence

I was just listening to comedian Will Ferrell on Fresh Air. He talked about how many of the characters he and his writing partner have created are based on the idea of "unearned confidence." Anyone who has seen Anchor Man or Talladega Nights would know instantly what he means. It's one of those concepts that makes perfect sense once it's pointed out to you.

I started thinking that perhaps we're leaving in the era of unearned confidence. There are many other characters who exhibit this, for instance both bosses in the Office (the US and England versions). One could also make the case that our current president exhibits this better than any other character, fictional or real. Perhaps this is why these characters are so funny to us.