the dunning-kruger effect

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a fascinating aspect of human psychology. At its basis, it is a tendency for incompetent people to overestimate their skill and, conversely, very competent people tend to underestimate their skill relative to others. I’m sure everyone has encountered someone new to a task/technology/skill who believes they are the expert, when in reality they actually have no clue.

Ever since I first heard of the effect, I recognized it in myself and others I had encountered throughout my life. What surprised me was that the effect, named after David Dunning and Justin Kruger, was first described in a 1999 study. I would have thought it would have been discovered and documented since Roman times.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is not about ego or arrogance. It’s about a lack of self-awareness. The very skills you need to be good at something are the same skills you need to recognize how good you are (or aren’t).

For example, to be a good writer, you need to have a good grasp of grammar, syntax, and style. If you lack those skills, you’re going to be a bad writer, and you won’t recognize that you’re a bad writer. You won’t see the mistakes you’re making, and you won’t appreciate the skill of a good writer.

Luckily, the Dunning-Kruger effect is not permanent. As you learn more about a subject, you become more aware of your own limitations. Recognize that you don’t know everything. There’s always more to learn. The more you learn about a subject, the more you’ll realize how much you don’t know.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a great reminder that we should all be open to the idea that we might not know as much as we think we do. For me, whenever I tackle a new task or skill, I have to remind myself that I don’t even know enough to know what questions I need to ask. I need to learn a bit before I even have an idea of what I don’t know.

Always keep learning.