Do you have the OPPOSITE of Imposter Syndrome?

Learning about this brought me back to earth real quick.

You’ve probably read those articles that tell you how amazing you are, but you don’t believe it. The ones that say you have imposter syndrome, and you’re actually a hidden genius.

They’re nice, aren’t they? I love reading them and feeling like a secret big brain.

But what if they’re wrong?

What if you aren’t a hidden genius, but a victim of the Dunning-Kruger Effect?

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a bias that makes people overestimate their knowledge on a topic after learning a little about it.

Basically, you think you’re an expert, but you’re really mid.

It works like this: You learn a bit of something and get confident. The knowledge is new and exciting. You think you know it all.

(This point is – hilariously – called ‘The Peak Of Mount Stupid’ on a graph that shows confidence vs knowledge.)

Some people however, keep learning…only to realise how much they don’t know. Their confidence drops. This point is described as ‘The Valley Of Despair’.

Unfortunately, a lot of people quit here.

A 3rd set of people persist and gain more knowledge and confidence. They learn their limits and attain intellectual humility.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is everywhere. You’ve seen it when someone speaks confidently but knows little. Or when someone tries to correct you without having a clue.

So, how can YOU avoid being on the peak of Mount Stupid?

It’s tricky to figure it out by yourself. We humans are notoriously bad at self evaluation – our bias is how we usually get things wrong in the first place.

The best way is to ask for feedback from others. They can tell you if you’re on the right track or not. Hearing you’re not as good as you thought can be tough, but ultimately it makes you better!

The second way is to keep learning and growing your knowledge.

As Einstein said, “The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know.”

Pretty much the story of my life. 🙂