confidence

12 Stories

No, America Doesn't Have a Skilled Worker Shortage

Robert Samuelson thinks a prevailing explanation for unemployment is a lie

(Newser) - Employers have been complaining for years now that the US is short of skilled workers, which is fast becoming the conventional wisdom explanation for persistently high unemployment. After all, there are currently more job openings than our current unemployment rates would suggest there should be. "There's only one...

Self-Delusion Can Help You Win

 Self-Delusion 
 Can Help 
 You Win 
study says

Self-Delusion Can Help You Win

But too much overconfidence can be disastrous: study

(Newser) - Whether you’re looking to win on the battlefield or in the boardroom, overconfidence may be better for you than clear-eyed analysis of your chances, a study suggests. Researchers in Scotland and California created a mathematical model to compare different strategies: overconfident, under-confident, and accurate assessments of one’s chances...

Secret to Recovery: Optimism
 Secret to 
 Recovery: 
 Optimism 
opinion

Secret to Recovery: Optimism

Obama, Boehner must promote American confidence

(Newser) - There’s a big economic problem that’s been keeping a low profile: American confidence, writes David Smick in the Washington Post . “Between $2.5 trillion and $4 trillion of private capital is waiting on the sidelines to ‘reliquify’ a new era of American confidence and innovation,”...

Women Are Most Beautiful at 31: Study

Sorry, 32-year-olds

(Newser) - If Miley Cyrus and Taylor Momsen have you depressed and bemoaning your lost youth and beauty, chin up: You’re actually at your best at age 31. Women at 31 are the most attractive, according to a new QVC study, in part because they’re more confident and have better...

Ali: Nothing Has Defeated Me
 Ali: Nothing Has Defeated Me 

Ali: Nothing Has Defeated Me

(Newser) - When NPR asked Muhammad Ali to weigh in for its “This I Believe” series, the boxing legend’s response was simple. “I have always believed in myself,” he said, in an essay read on the air by his wife, Lonnie. “And I still do.” Ali...

Survey: Women's Sex Lives Best in Their 40s

(Newser) - Whether it’s hormones, increased self-esteem or stepping out on their spouses, 40-something women are experiencing the best sex of their lives, reports the Guardian. "It's one of the best-kept secrets of women's lives," noted one expert. Of 2,000 women polled in a recent survey, 77% said...

To Halt Hamas, Win 'Confidence War'
 To Halt Hamas, 
 Win 'Confidence War' 
OPINION

To Halt Hamas, Win 'Confidence War'

Psychology is at center of current struggle

(Newser) - The Arab-Israeli conflict was once about reaching some kind of long-term land settlement—but for extremist groups like Hamas, a “handshake on the White House lawn” is no longer a goal, writes David Brooks in the New York Times. Now, “both sides seek the destruction of the other,...

We Need New Leadership, Now
 We Need New Leadership, Now 
OPINION

We Need New Leadership, Now

Washington's following 'business as usual' amid crisis

(Newser) - Washington is carrying out “business as usual in the most unusual economic moment of our lifetimes,” writes Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. It’s time for our leaders to wake up to the enormity of the financial crisis, the real "weapon of mass destruction,"...

Don't Get Cocky, Obama Cautions Supporters

19 days is a long time in electoral politics, candidate warns

(Newser) - Polls show that Barack Obama has a solid lead, nationally and in several swing states, over John McCain. But the Democrat warned supporters today to be wary of overconfidence, Reuters reports. “I've been in these positions before when we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and...

Palin Approval Runs Along Partisan Lines

Poll: VP pick creates sharp divides, making overall impact a wash

(Newser) - About half of the public had a favorable first impression of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, and that half consists primarily of Republicans, a new ABC News poll finds. This not-so-shocking divide mirrors the numbers on Joe Biden: his candidacy makes 22% of people more likely to support the Obama ticket...

Confidence in Bush Still Plunging: Poll

Approval hits career low; 82% believe US is on wrong path

(Newser) - Support for President Bush has sunk to its lowest level yet, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. Bush's 31% approval rating marks a career low as 82% of Americans now think the country is heading in the wrong direction. Opinions were highly split along partisan lines.

Housing Starts Plummet to 14-Year Low

But modest consumer price hike soothes inflation fears

(Newser) - New homes starts fell to their lowest level in 14 years last month, plunging 10%—to an annualized rate of 1.191 million—after expectations of a 4.2% decline. The number followed a 3.2% drop in August, the Wall Street Journal reports. A homebuilders' confidence gauge registered its...

12 Stories