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Dunning Kruger-Effect

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Dunning–Kruger-Effect

  • A bias in which incompetent persons suffer from illusory superiority, untruly assessing their ability as much higher than it really is. 
  • This is due to their inability to recognise their inaptitude to evaluate themselves accurately.

E.G.: A person who has never stood on a surfboard before is confident that he can glide through the waves as elegantly as professional surfers. Someone who has had their first experience on a board in the surf is no longer as confident. And the surf crack with many years of experience can confidently assess his skills correctly.

Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments
Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments from Kruger, J., & Dunning, D.

 

 

What can you do about it?

  • Try to recognize your own mistakes and shortcomings.
  • Ask for feedback from trusted people.
  • Be curious, open and committed to learning more about this effect in order to recognise it and combat the tendency to think of yourself as an expert.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 17 December 2024, 4:32 PM