The Dunning Kruger Effect explains the illusion of competence at the start of learning something new to the point of ignorance.
It begins with a false sense of confidence to try something new for the first time. It changes with time by realizing there is a lot to learn and gradually moving towards the alignment phase.
Your 4 career phases
As a developer you will face 4 phases of the Dunning-Kruger effect in your career:
- Enthusiasm: At first you will be at the peak of confidence (or what they call “Mount stupid”), you will feel that you are invincible and nothing can stop you.
- Despair: After a few experiences, you suddenly realize that you got some “tricky” problems that will make sure to shatter your confidence into pieces (or what they call “the valley of despair”)
- Enlightenment: You either be smart enough to accept that you don’t know (and that’s what will bring humility to your character), face some imposter syndrome moments from time to time, and reach the “plateau of productivity” after 10K hours of experience and knowledge, or you will be stubborn, not accepting the truth and be a disillusioned expert for a while.
- Forgetfulness: You retire and live happily ever after, that’s all.
How to Overcome the Dunning-Kruger Effect
So is there anything that can minimize this phenomenon? Is there a point at which the incompetent recognize their ineptitude?
“We are all engines of misbelief” - David Dunning.
While we are all prone to experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect, learning more about how the mind works and the mistakes we are all susceptible to might be one step toward correcting such patterns.
So what can you do to gain a more realistic assessment of your abilities in a particular area if you are not sure you can trust your self-assessment?
- Keep learning and practicing: Instead of assuming you know all there is to know about a subject, keep digging deeper. Once you gain a more excellent knowledge of a topic, you will likely recognize how much there is still to learn. This can combat the illusion to assume you’re an expert, even if you’re not.
- Ask other people how you’re doing: While it can sometimes be difficult to hear, such feedback can provide valuable insights into how others perceive your abilities.
- Question what you know: Even as you learn more and get feedback, it can be easy to only pay attention to things that confirm what you think you already know. Keep challenging your beliefs and expectations.
Conclusion
The Dunning-Kruger effect is one of many cognitive biases that can affect your behaviors and decisions. While it may be easier to recognize the phenomenon in others, it is important to remember that it is something that impacts everyone.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/science/Dunning-Kruger-effect https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-the-dunning-kruger-effect-4160740 https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/1/31/18200497/dunning-kruger-effect-explained-trump
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