Overconfidence in poorly supported claims is rife – but epistemic humility comes at a price: you pay in tentativeness, uncertainty and sometimes indecision. Beneath the shadow that doubt casts on comfortable truths, it’s harder to know what to believe.

Knowing when to act with conviction in the face of limited information is the essence of practical wisdom. Yet hesitation is sometimes justified. It may in fact be unwise to act decisively when you don’t know whose voices are worth heeding.