Dunning-Kruger: the complexities of superiority
Recently I came across the phenomenon of the Dunning-Kruger effect, dreamed up in 1999 by a couple of cognitive psychologists. This is it: incompetent people of low ability think they have greater skills than they in fact have. Simple – although the researchers in question put their thesis through a jargon-generator first.
Well, that would seem to take care of a number of politicians then, including the President-elect of the United States. He is an easy target though. What about Blair who, forgetting his reputation as messianic war-mongerer declares he’s coming back to take socialism out of socialism – again?
But am I to extrapolate from the (now dated I admit) report that people who believe in their own abilities should give up if told by others that they are really not competent to do what they are doing? And if they have ambitions they should face the fact that they’re punching above their weight? Hm.
Year - 1931
‘Mr Bader, I’ve told you a thousand times – you’ll never walk again. You lost both your legs in that crash.’
‘Damn it all, man. I’m talking about flying.’
‘Don’t be silly. Come to terms with what you can’t do.’
‘I’m bloody well going to walk again and fly again.’
‘Don’t be in denial (oops - an anachronistic phrase – I’ll save it for later). Why don’t you face facts? You will hardly be able to walk with artificial legs, let alone fly.’
Year 1941
‘Heard about that fellow Bader?
‘Oh yes. Douglas Bader. The one with so little imagination he just couldn’t see that he ought to spend his life in a wheelchair. Experts told him years ago he ought to acknowledge what he can’t do. He could never accept the fact that men without legs just can’t fly. If he had a bit more knowledge of anatomy and physiology, he’d give up. Delusions of adequacy he has. Pain in the arse really.
‘Well, he retrained as a pilot and rejoined the RAF. Took part in the Battle of Britain. Had to bail out though. POW now. Still a pain in the arse though.’
Colditz POW camp.
***
‘I’m sorry Mr Bader. I don’t like to do it. Yes, I’m the Commandant of a Prisoner-of-War camp but I believe I’m a civilised person. Nevertheless, the only way to stop you escaping is to take away your artificial legs. You are what your compatriots call ‘a pain in the arse’. ’
‘I’m glad I don’t know about this damned Kruger-Dunning effect. They’ll dream it up long after I’m gone. But then, I never was a bookish sort of bloke. Which is just as well.’
**
‘Mr Van Gogh, if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times – your paintings are rubbish. They’re not even painted competently. Everyone says so. Typical Dunning-Kruger - (mumbles) now where did that come from?
**
‘Mr Bell (although I suspect you are a woman) your novel, Wuthering heights is rubbish. I advise you to accept your inadequacies and go back to your place in the kitchen, where your coarse, crude passions fit you for working as a kitchen maid. In 150 years’ they will come up with Dunning Kruger effect that will fit you to a tee.’
Dunning and Kruger were awarded the 2000 Ig Nobel prize in Psychology ‘for their modest report, 'Unskilled and Unaware of It: how Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments.'
Well, that would seem to take care of a number of politicians then, including the President-elect of the United States. He is an easy target though. What about Blair who, forgetting his reputation as messianic war-mongerer declares he’s coming back to take socialism out of socialism – again?
But am I to extrapolate from the (now dated I admit) report that people who believe in their own abilities should give up if told by others that they are really not competent to do what they are doing? And if they have ambitions they should face the fact that they’re punching above their weight? Hm.
Year - 1931
‘Mr Bader, I’ve told you a thousand times – you’ll never walk again. You lost both your legs in that crash.’
‘Damn it all, man. I’m talking about flying.’
‘Don’t be silly. Come to terms with what you can’t do.’
‘I’m bloody well going to walk again and fly again.’
‘Don’t be in denial (oops - an anachronistic phrase – I’ll save it for later). Why don’t you face facts? You will hardly be able to walk with artificial legs, let alone fly.’
Year 1941
‘Heard about that fellow Bader?
‘Oh yes. Douglas Bader. The one with so little imagination he just couldn’t see that he ought to spend his life in a wheelchair. Experts told him years ago he ought to acknowledge what he can’t do. He could never accept the fact that men without legs just can’t fly. If he had a bit more knowledge of anatomy and physiology, he’d give up. Delusions of adequacy he has. Pain in the arse really.
‘Well, he retrained as a pilot and rejoined the RAF. Took part in the Battle of Britain. Had to bail out though. POW now. Still a pain in the arse though.’
Colditz POW camp.
***
‘I’m sorry Mr Bader. I don’t like to do it. Yes, I’m the Commandant of a Prisoner-of-War camp but I believe I’m a civilised person. Nevertheless, the only way to stop you escaping is to take away your artificial legs. You are what your compatriots call ‘a pain in the arse’. ’
‘I’m glad I don’t know about this damned Kruger-Dunning effect. They’ll dream it up long after I’m gone. But then, I never was a bookish sort of bloke. Which is just as well.’
**
‘Mr Van Gogh, if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times – your paintings are rubbish. They’re not even painted competently. Everyone says so. Typical Dunning-Kruger - (mumbles) now where did that come from?
**
‘Mr Bell (although I suspect you are a woman) your novel, Wuthering heights is rubbish. I advise you to accept your inadequacies and go back to your place in the kitchen, where your coarse, crude passions fit you for working as a kitchen maid. In 150 years’ they will come up with Dunning Kruger effect that will fit you to a tee.’
Dunning and Kruger were awarded the 2000 Ig Nobel prize in Psychology ‘for their modest report, 'Unskilled and Unaware of It: how Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments.'
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