The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Action
I believe we have all been through a situation where someone expected to be of knowledgeable authority, displays actions and attitude that shows otherwise. They lack the basic of knowledge, and skills required for a role. They bark orders, make unrealistic demands and shut down any attempts at constructive feedbacks or collaboration. And worst of all, they genuinely believe that they are experts when the evidence suggests otherwise.
This englobe the paradoxical situation of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The Dunning-Kruger effect - what is it?.
In simple terms, the Dumming-Kruger effect occurs when someone lacks the basic of knowledge and skill, causing them to overestimate their own competence. For instance, someone's knowledge about a specific subject could be very small, yet they could think they are well-versed simply because they have read from it somewhere or heard about it here and there. Meanwhile, someone who actually is making progress may think that he is lacking behind.
Working under such situations can be very difficult, especially for those are genuinely knowledgeable and have the capacity to really achieve something. Which is why it is important to admit that we can not know everything and when faced with a situation where we have to provide answers, it is best to be honest of what we know and do not know, and even more important to verify facts than spread falsehoods.
One of the posts that I really like is from Eric Roby which speaks to this.
For those caught in the trap of the Dunning-Kruger effect, we might simply say
On that note, one piece of advice from me would be: do not be a problem for anyone, rather strive to be a strength.
Special thanks to Abdallah for the reference. Head over to his linkedin profile to learn more about him:
Abdallah Yashir Ramsing
About Me
I am Zaahra, a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador who enjoy mentoring people and writing about technical contents that might help people in their developer journey. I also enjoy building stuffs to solve real life problems.
To reach me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faatimah-iz-zaahra-m-0670881a1/
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GitHub: https://github.com/fz3hra
Cheers,
Umme Faatimah-Iz-Zaahra Mujore | Google Women TechMakers Ambassador | Software Engineer