con artist or unintentional mislead-er?

I think I’m a con artist. Not really, actually a conner (can you say that?) but I have conning tendencies. What I mean is, I can speak somewhat authoritatively on things I have no idea about... and what’s weird about it is that people not only believe me but I end up believing me too.

For example, I don’t know the mechanics of the inner working of a dam (aka water-restraining-facility to all those Potters out there) but if you ask me about it and you really don’t know, I’ll come up with the way I think it works... and be very convincing, and talk about hydroelectric power and turbines and gravity and movement of water and the downsides to the environment but how our modern life needs power and at least hydroelectric power doesn’t produce massive amounts of air pollution.

I don’t really know anything about it but I can apply my brain to the scenario and come up with a few things. And that makes me sound smart. But there’s a very real possibility that I eavesdropped once on someone else talking about hydroelectricity and then I watched ten minutes of a Discovery Chanel show on dams and I also happen know a bit about gravity because some guy had an apple fall on his head once... and I put it all together... with authority.

For a con artist the most terrifying thing is getting caught in their own con. There are times when I’m in the middle of speaking very convincingly on something I have no idea about and someone tells me I have it wrong. I’ll argue with them (what I call discussing....) but then they tell me they have a masters degree in that subject or have worked in it for years or whatever, and they give five solid evidences for why they’re right and blast my weak little argument to smithereens.

I’m caught. My secret is out. I’ve been talking like I know stuff... but I don’t know stuff... and I’m not really saying I know the stuff but the way I’m talking makes me seem like I know the stuff and then suddenly everyone knows I DON’T know the stuff...

It’s like being a deer caught in headlights. I just stare at the group, eyes wide, gulp a bit and weakly say something like “oh that’s fascinating” and then “I just forgot... I need to go buy bananas” and I make my escape.

I've never really realized this about myself before; it's a bit of a revelation... and I don't entirely know how I feel about it. And when I think more about it, I don't really think I'm a con artist because that implies intentional deception. I'm more of an unintentional mislead-er... and what's funny about it is that I mislead myself too.