# Sometimes I pretend everyone else is incompetent and unskilled **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109 "2014-02-12T01:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/1 "2014-02-12T01:09:58Z")
You know how everyone has fantasies about being the best in the world at something? The best golfer or the best speller or the fastest runner or whatever? Often, I picture it like I just hit home runs left and right, or I never pick a losing stock. I imagine that I’m just impeccably talented at whatever the skill is. But _sometimes_ I imagine the reverse, where I’m #1 not because I’m so good, but because everyone else is so bad. I can hold my breath for a whole 20 seconds, whereas even professional breath-holders can only manage 17, 17.5 tops. I can run a mile at a lighting pace of 15 minutes, 12 seconds, which is an easy improvement over the former world record, 17:56. I once threw a ball really high and caught it on the way down, becoming a world famous juggler, and OH MAN, the Earth has never seen a cook like me. My boiled spaghetti noodles never fall apart. I dunno. It’s just something stupid I do. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/2 "2014-02-12T01:18:00Z")
I’m curious – what do you score on [this](http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/narcissistic.htm) test? I got an 18. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/3 "2014-02-12T01:24:42Z")
With the advent of the Internet and Facebook, most days, I don’t have to pretend. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/4 "2014-02-12T01:28:50Z")
1. What’s that scene from Caddyshack where Bill Murray does his own color commentary as he putts? Do you ever do that? ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/5 "2014-02-12T01:54:35Z")
1. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/6 "2014-02-12T02:06:19Z")
> [@fisha](#): > > 1. Sigh. Wow! What a high score! You must be an extraordinary person with amazing qualities. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/7 "2014-02-12T03:15:29Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I’m curious – what do you score on [this](http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/narcissistic.htm) test? I got an 18. I got a 33! OK, I cheated and answered for my 5-year-old daughter, so she got a 33. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/8 "2014-02-12T03:20:07Z")
1. What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/9 "2014-02-12T03:25:29Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > 1. What do I win? You’ll get nothing and like it! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/10 "2014-02-12T04:05:25Z")
Sounds good to me! I’m used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/11 "2014-02-12T04:09:11Z")
Enough about narcissism, let’s talk about me. Am I alone in doing this? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/12 "2014-02-12T04:21:43Z")
I got a 6, having been raised by a narcissist, I am terrified at the thought of being one as well ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/13 "2014-02-12T04:35:23Z")
I got a 1. Is that good? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/14 "2014-02-12T05:03:15Z")
Why pretend? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/15 "2014-02-12T05:03:21Z")
Narcissist. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/16 "2014-02-12T05:10:06Z")
What is this “pretend” thou speaketh of? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/17 "2014-02-12T07:39:21Z")
**Sometimes I pretend everyone else is incompetent and unskilled** Yeah, be careful what you pretend. You might be right! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/18 "2014-02-12T10:23:33Z")
I want to say I got a 4 but then I don’t want to make a big deal out of it… ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/19 "2014-02-12T11:49:45Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Wow! What a high score! You must be an extraordinary person with amazing qualities. Or a complete asshole. Depends on the day. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109/20 "2014-02-12T12:53:45Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Enough about narcissism, let’s talk about me. That is hilarious. On rare occasions I’ll do the Bill Murray golf thing, but it will actually be about golf. I never thought of doing what you do. Seems pretty harmless to me, unless you start believing your own nonsense. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-i-pretend-everyone-else-is-incompetent-and-unskilled/681109.md?page=2)