Wednesday, 8 June 2022

Positive Songs For Negative Times #71: Confidence


Statistics tell us nothing. 

Say 59% of people say they have confidence in you.

Firstly, we have to consider sampling bias. Is that 59% of people in the country? Or is it 59% of a bunch of crooks who are mostly as wicked, corrupt and vainglorious as you are? And if it's the latter, what does it mean when you can't even get support for your evil ways from 41% of "a wretched hive of scum and villainy" (copyright George Lucas, 1977)? Other than that they're the ones we should fear the most: they want your job. History has shown that as bad as we may think you are, your successor will prove to be even worse.

Secondly, we should consider the word "confidence" itself. The first definition in the dictionary is "a feeling of having little doubt about yourself and your abilities". Is that what the 59% were voting for? Did they merely wish to confirm that you have confidence in your own abilities? Clearly your track record speaks for itself in that. You should have got 100% of that vote.

A few steps down the definition list though, we come to the version of confidence that goes before "confidence man" or "confidence trickster". Maybe that's what those 211 pro-votes were all about? Once again, there can be little doubt about your abilities in that department.

Still, let's draw a line under it all now, eh? There are far more lies yet to be told...


The best that can be said of this result is that it got me to listen to one of the bonus tracks on Elvis Costello's excellent King of America album again. Not heard this in years, but it's a beauty.

You knew that he was lying 
When he said he wasn't lying



2 comments:

  1. Wretched is the word I've found myself using a lot lately as well. I despair. Good to hear the Elvis outtake again though. What a purple patch he was having during that period.

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    1. I've not listened to that album in ages. Needs a proper revisit.

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