Chapter 2 And The Dunning-Kruger Effect

"Chapter 2"

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

The Dunning-Kruger effect was described in 1999 in a paper by David Dunning and Justin Kruger. 

In the two decades since then, there have been countless articles written supporting the idea. There is at least one article that claims it's not a real thing. YouTube has many videos dedicated to it, too. (Search, or visit the bibliography at the bottom of the page.)

My own takeaway was best summarized by Jonathan Jarry when he said "The Dunning-Kruger effect is not about dumb people. It’s mostly about all of us when it comes to things we are not very competent at."

The more I explore this concept, the more I doubt my own certainty. The Dunning-Kruger effect is actually a two-edged sword. 

On one hand, people don't know what they don't know. When they are unskilled, they cannot see their own faults. They are unaware of their own incompetence. They briefly glance through a topic and they instantly want to start teaching others.

On the other hand, when they are exceptionally competent, they don't perceive how unusual their abilities are. They don't realize that they are special, so they don't try to teach others.

Me? I enjoy teaching. I enjoy mentoring. I enjoy watching the proverbial light bulb come on over someone's head!

I was introduced to Dunning-Kruger from an 8-1/2 minute video. I liked the examples that show up about the halfway mark, especially about the photographer at the 5-minute mark! (Watch 2-3 minutes from here: Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart?)

Back to me teaching:

Are my WordPress skills at Mike's level? (Mike was the photographer.)

I often say that I'm working on Chapter 2, and I am competent to teach Chapter 1.  

Actually, I have scanned many more chapters, and can quickly find something through the index. I've learned enough vocabulary words to find answers. I hope I'm more like the professional photographer in the video.

I'm considering pivoting. I think I should market myself under the banner "Chapter 2" because that more clearly explains and defines my sense of self.

~~ Rick

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 Rick's Bibliography

• Online Articles
• The Dunning-Kruger Effect Is Probably Not Real 
• The Dunning-Kruger effect (WikiPedia)
• Why can we not perceive our own abilities? 
• The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why Incompetence Begets Confidence 
• Video Links
• The Dunning-Kruger Effect 
• Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart? 
• Why incompetent people think they're amazing - David Dunning 
• "The Dunning-Kruger Song", from The Incompetence Opera 
• "Why ignorance fails to recognize itself" Featuring David Dunning 
• The Irony of the Dunning-Kruger Effect 
• The Dunning-Kruger Effect 
• Why BAD Photographers THINK They're Good 
•  Adam Ruins Everything - The Dunning-Kruger Effect  
• The Truth Why Stupid People Think They're Smart