Overconfidence Breeds Stupidity

“If you don’t want to do something stupid, you probably don’t want to have higher expectations of your abilities than you should,” Aczel said. “The worst thing someone can do is act confidently, and seriously, and still not act rationally. That’s as stupid as it gets.”

When you see yourself as the winner, and everyone else as in your way, you get sloppy.  

When you see yourself as smart and everyone else as dumb, you get lazy.

When you see yourself as history's actor and everyone else as the audience, be mindful you don't fall into the concert pit.

Leaders are humble.  They don't seek the spotlight.  It may find them, but that's not the point.

When it's not about you, when you don't think of yourself as the only one in the room whose ideas matter, when winning isn't your goal, mindfulness is a lot easier.  

In the long-term, it's better to be aware than it is to be selfish.

That's just smart planning.