Dunning and Kruner Effect
“Who knows does, who doesn’t know teaches”, said an old proverb. Holy words, just to remain in old logisms. However, what our ancestors would never have imagined is that one day, scientists, and in particular the psychologists Dunning and Kruner of Cornell University in the States, would have codified this proverb according to modern canons, this saying within a real cognitive disorder officially recognized. That’s what goes by the name of the “Dunning and Kruner Effect”. What is it about? It is very simple: the Dunning and Kruner effect predicts that in any social context (family, work, couple, etc.) it often happens that the person who knows the most is the most silent one, unlike what those who know very little do. often he fills this void with a thousand words, thus overwhelming those who know.
Never mind, that’s how the world has always been. Yes, that’s true, in part. Because beware, the Dunning and Kruner effect does not encode the behavior of talkers or presumptuous exhibitionists. It is something different and more subtle and, if we want, even more serious. It is, as mentioned, a real cognitive disorder, or a dysfunction in the way in which the person interfaces with the world and manages their knowledge and actions. I said that it is something more subtle because in some cases, or at least in those actually categorized as the “Dunning and Kruner effect”, those who do not know end up believing themselves to be quite prepared on a certain topic not for a matter of pride but because their cognitive mechanisms obviously flawed, they lead him to oversize what he knows about a certain subject. A classic error of assessment that can be (only) unpleasant in personal relationships but can lead to disasters if applied to particularly sensitive areas: think how happy you would be to have a surgeon under the influence of Dunning and Kruner be operated on.
In the same way, the Dunning and Kruner effect can become dangerous when people suffering from this cognitive disorder are given a microphone or a stage, and not only in a figurative sense: let’s think for example of the effects of the words of some politicians and many opinion leaders. that crowd the talk show lounges. Faced with the complexity of things, people affected by the Dunning and Kruner effect use a proven scheme: they simplify, quickly learn two basic notions that they then try to rework with sophisticated and effective words (and they are very good at this). which serves to conquer or subjugate their interlocutors. Possibly precluding any space for expression to those who know.
How to
How to recognize them? There is no manual on the subject but, if you want I can share a technique of my own, which, over the years, has always proved to be quite effective, and which consists in being wary (by default) of all people who even for very simple concepts like saying “How are you?” raise their voices. I know you don’t have to make a shit out of all the grass (still proverbs, I know), but I assure you that in the vast majority of cases I take it. Anyone who has something important to say will not try too hard to scream, regardless of the context, because he is able to replace decibels with content. Listen, let’s listen more to those who speak softly, and those who are not in a hurry to say what they think. Give it time to talk, give it time to learn.
