The Dunning-Kruger Effect

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias, one in which individuals with low ability/little knowledge in a particular domain tend to overestimate their own competence or knowledge in that domain. In other words, people who lack expertise in a specific area often believe they are more skilled or knowledgeable than they actually are. Simply put, it's when the novice thinks they know more than the expert.

This phenomenon is named after psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. It highlights how our self-perception of confidence and competence can be inaccurate, particularly when we lack the necessary skills or expertise to accurately assess our performance. High-confidence is not necessarily a good indicator of high-competence.

This effect is illustrated, for example, when people with very little knowledge, but armed with a few Google searches, believe they know more about Covid-19 than highly trained experts in immunology and virology. It's also on display when people, equipped with only opinions and superficial knowledge, attack "DEI" efforts, calling them racist. At some point, we all fall prey to this cognitive bias in some informational/behavioral domain. To ward off the the effect of this cognitive bias, be mindful of putting into practice the HERO Skills of Reflection, Humility and Open-mindedness.