Many people believe that confident people think more highly of themselves, while those who have low self-esteem (自尊) think less of their good qualities. However, a new study says it might not be true, reported The Guardian.

    The study was done by Jonathan Freeman, a psychology (心理学) professor from the University of London, UK. He found that 98 percent of British people consider themselves to be among the nicest 50 percent of the population.

    In the study, Freeman first asked some people to rate (评级) their own niceness. Then he got people to answer questions like “Do you give directions to strangers?” and “Have you ever donated blood?”. The results showed that people are not as nice as they think they are. Two thirds of them seldom helped others carry heavy shopping bags, and only a quarter of them donated blood.

    In another study by psychologists from universities in Chicago and Virginia, US, some people were shown pictures of themselves. Some pictures had been slightly changed to make them appear more attractive. When asked to pick the unchanged pictures, people usually chose the more attractive ones.

    So, why do we think we're nicer than we actually are?

    There are many theories (理论). A popular one says we unconsciously (无意识地) deceive (欺骗) ourselves, so that we can get confidence without knowingly lying to ourselves or each other.

    How can we solve it? Other studies show that there is a simple way: feedback (反馈). Compare others' opinion toward yourself with your own and you will see a clearer picture.