I don't know, what I don't know
I read an interesting article today in the New York Times, written by Errol Morris (this is part 1 of a 4 part series) about a study done by a professor at Cornell named David Dunning. Sometime in 1996, Dunning came across an article about a bank robber in Pittsburgh who made absolutely no attempt to disguise himself while robbing banks. When he was caught, the robber was completely surprised that they recognized him and declared, "BUT I WORE THE JUICE."
Apparently, someone had convinced him that if he rubbed his face with lemon juice, then he would be invisible to video cameras. He had actually tested the theory before he attempted the robbery by snapping a picture of himself in which he didn't appear. Of course there could be multiple explanations for his not appearing in the picture, but none that really mattered to him. Anyway, when Dunning read this article he had an epiphany, if the robber "was too stupid to be a bank robber, perhaps he was also too stupid to know that he was too stupid to be a bank robber."
As Morris wrote, "Dunning wondered whether it was possible to measure one' self-assessed level of competence against something a little more objective - say, actual competence." Dunning and his assistant Justin Kruger wrote in their paper, "When people are incompetent in the strategies they adopt to achieve success and satisfaction, they suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it. Instead, like the (bank robber), they are left with the erroneous impression they are doing just fine." Thus, developing the Dunning - Kruger Effect - "our incompetence masks our ability to recognize our incompetence."
Morris' article went on to delve into the effects of this theory on evolution, but I have my own theories about this theory. I personally think that a big part of the problem starts at home - it comes from parents. I think parents can be over supportive, to the point that people gain a false sense of identity. Thus, leaving them thinking they are really awesome at something when they are not.
I have a friend that was over weight as a child. Therefore, her parents over compensated by telling her she was really awesome at everything she tried. She was on the dance team in Junior High. There were no tryouts. When they danced, no one was in sync. It is one of the funniest videos I have ever watched in my life. She truly believed that she could have been a Rocket.
Her mother also told her she had the most beautiful voice ever, she can't carry a tune in a bucket. It wasn't until law school, when her soon to be husband told her she couldn't sing that she had any clue of her singing incompetency. These are the kinds of people that end up on American Idol tryouts and America Has Talent tryouts and the entire country laughs at them, but they have no idea why.
I have another friend that has two little boys in elementary school. Nothing that they participate in has a "winner." Instead, everyone is a "winner." Well, one of them has just entered Tae Kwon Do and there are winners. But nothing school related has winners and losers. No one won or lost at field day, no one won or lost at the jump rope day. Isn't this just setting kids up to be really let down the first time they loose? Isn't this promoting the idea of a false identity.
Look, I do not have the desire for everyone to have poor self esteem, but if we allow people to always win and always be told that they are awesome at everything, then we are setting them up to believe that lemon juice will hide them in videos. And just because you are honest, doesn't have to deter them from dreaming. My parents have always let me know that I can't sing, I am a terrible singer. I can play instruments, and write songs, but singing - not so much. My own grandmother tells me I need lessons, I wrote a song about it.
Does this keep me from singing? Of course not. I will be the first one up to sing with the band - no matter where I am. The difference is that I know in reality I don't sound great. Sure, I may have this deep down underlying feeling that I am a reincarnated Motown Singer, but she must have been a back up singer - in the way back, back up singer. Nonetheless, I will sing on - knowing that people are shaking their heads and wondering if I have been overserved.
As Dunning says, "We're not very good at knowing what we don't know." So, please don't tell your children that they are good at something, when they aren't - how will they ever know otherwise? Wouldn't you rather the truth come from you, someone who cares for them, than the American public via youtube. So the next time you tell little Johnny that he will be a great escape artist...remember the Pittsburgh robber that was wearing the juice.
Apparently, someone had convinced him that if he rubbed his face with lemon juice, then he would be invisible to video cameras. He had actually tested the theory before he attempted the robbery by snapping a picture of himself in which he didn't appear. Of course there could be multiple explanations for his not appearing in the picture, but none that really mattered to him. Anyway, when Dunning read this article he had an epiphany, if the robber "was too stupid to be a bank robber, perhaps he was also too stupid to know that he was too stupid to be a bank robber."
As Morris wrote, "Dunning wondered whether it was possible to measure one' self-assessed level of competence against something a little more objective - say, actual competence." Dunning and his assistant Justin Kruger wrote in their paper, "When people are incompetent in the strategies they adopt to achieve success and satisfaction, they suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it. Instead, like the (bank robber), they are left with the erroneous impression they are doing just fine." Thus, developing the Dunning - Kruger Effect - "our incompetence masks our ability to recognize our incompetence."
Morris' article went on to delve into the effects of this theory on evolution, but I have my own theories about this theory. I personally think that a big part of the problem starts at home - it comes from parents. I think parents can be over supportive, to the point that people gain a false sense of identity. Thus, leaving them thinking they are really awesome at something when they are not.
I have a friend that was over weight as a child. Therefore, her parents over compensated by telling her she was really awesome at everything she tried. She was on the dance team in Junior High. There were no tryouts. When they danced, no one was in sync. It is one of the funniest videos I have ever watched in my life. She truly believed that she could have been a Rocket.
Her mother also told her she had the most beautiful voice ever, she can't carry a tune in a bucket. It wasn't until law school, when her soon to be husband told her she couldn't sing that she had any clue of her singing incompetency. These are the kinds of people that end up on American Idol tryouts and America Has Talent tryouts and the entire country laughs at them, but they have no idea why.
I have another friend that has two little boys in elementary school. Nothing that they participate in has a "winner." Instead, everyone is a "winner." Well, one of them has just entered Tae Kwon Do and there are winners. But nothing school related has winners and losers. No one won or lost at field day, no one won or lost at the jump rope day. Isn't this just setting kids up to be really let down the first time they loose? Isn't this promoting the idea of a false identity.
Look, I do not have the desire for everyone to have poor self esteem, but if we allow people to always win and always be told that they are awesome at everything, then we are setting them up to believe that lemon juice will hide them in videos. And just because you are honest, doesn't have to deter them from dreaming. My parents have always let me know that I can't sing, I am a terrible singer. I can play instruments, and write songs, but singing - not so much. My own grandmother tells me I need lessons, I wrote a song about it.
Does this keep me from singing? Of course not. I will be the first one up to sing with the band - no matter where I am. The difference is that I know in reality I don't sound great. Sure, I may have this deep down underlying feeling that I am a reincarnated Motown Singer, but she must have been a back up singer - in the way back, back up singer. Nonetheless, I will sing on - knowing that people are shaking their heads and wondering if I have been overserved.
As Dunning says, "We're not very good at knowing what we don't know." So, please don't tell your children that they are good at something, when they aren't - how will they ever know otherwise? Wouldn't you rather the truth come from you, someone who cares for them, than the American public via youtube. So the next time you tell little Johnny that he will be a great escape artist...remember the Pittsburgh robber that was wearing the juice.
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