The Dunning-Kruger Effect

Do you know what it is? I bet even if you haven’t heard it called that, you are familiar with it.

It’s when someone who is not very knowledgeable or skilled in an area overestimates their ability to perform well. The classic “you don’t know what you don’t know” situation. I remember walking into a test at school brimming with confidence, only to be brought back to reality when I got my score back.

A good example of this is the 2023 YouGov study that found that about one-third of adults think they could safely land a passenger airplane—a big one—relying only on the assistance of air traffic control (that confidence swelled to nearly half of men who believed they could do it).

The other side of that teeter-totter is that people who are knowledgeable tend to underestimate their abilities. So what is worse—trying things because you don’t realize how unprepared you are, or not taking a chance because you do realize it?

For me, I’m a serial dabbler. Not trying new things is not an option, and truthfully, I would have missed out on some amazing experiences if I hadn’t stupidly blundered forward at times. But, remembering back to that test, I have learned to keep my mouth shut, work hard, and if the score comes back high, that’s when I can take my mental victory lap. I’m probably late to the party with that one, but at least I showed up.