Mom, please accept my apologies…

(pretty please, on my knees, with a cherry on top!)

I’d like to officially apologize to my mother for all those times I thought I knew everything, when, in fact, I knew almost nothing. Actually, I probably owe a few of you this same apology. It’s free for the taking. Now that I’m slowing down a bit in life and have the luxury of time for self-reflection, I’m realizing a lot about the stories I’ve been telling myself.

Now, I’d also like to explain how this “over-confidence” came to be–and I’d like to warn you that you might not know as much as you think you know either.  So take a deep breath before you keep reading. Realize that none of this really has anything to do with an over-inflated ego.

Watch this video: The Dunning-Kruger Effect

*Thanks, James, for nudging me in this direction!

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

As the video explains, the less competent tend to overestimate their ability because they are unaware of how little they know. We are all at risk of this, and therefore run the double-curse of making mistakes because of lack of knowledge AND not having the ability to step back and understand why.

People who have a moderate level of expertise have less confidence in their abilities because they know enough to know they don’t know enough. Experts tend to be unaware of how much more they know than most people. So people who are inept or highly skilled are caught in a bubble of inaccurate self-perception. The Dunning-Kruger Effect is invisible to those experiencing it.

What in the world does this have to do with writing?

As the video insists, there are two things we should do to avoid the Dunning-Kruger Effect:

1. Ask for feedback from others. Consider it, even if it’s difficult to hear.

For writers of CNF, this means talking to the people who were also there, participating in the event you are trying to accurately depict. It doesn’t mean you have to change your account to match theirs, but you should be aware of how they saw things. It might give you more fodder for thought.

For writers of all genres, it means that readers often see gaps that you don’t. My best stories are the ones I’ve gotten feedback on before they made the final draft. Sometimes I think a story is brilliant, but then my reader(s) sort of roll their eyes. It hurts a bit, but I persevere and come up with a story that surpasses the original. Thank you to all of my readers!

2. Keep learning. The more knowledgeable we become, the less likely we are to be delusional about our abilities.

This is important when you are writing about something outside of your expertise–even if it’s a different city, neighbourhood, lifestyle, profession, season. Get the facts straight. If it’s something bigger, like an element of science-fiction, make sure you don’t end up sounding like a fool even to those who know a little bit more than you do.

This is also important when it comes to editing. I know that, even though I am quite competent with grammar, I am always learning about the mistakes I’ve been making for forty years. Bad habits are hard to break–but these days I almost always remember to add a comma before a coordinating conjunction!

 

"When arguing with a fool, consider whether your opponent is doing   the same."

For a more in-depth look at Dunning-Kruger Effect, watch this video.

Here’s a related past post:

Perspective and The Gift of Teeth