Today I learned about the Dunning-Kruger Effect, which is a psychological phenomenon wherein people overestimate their competence at tasks where they have very little experience. This helpful graph sums it up well:
I particularly love the names of the different areas of the graph. And although it would be easy for me to say “Hah, that never happens to me”, I’d be lying. It happens to everyone. I’ve climbed Mount Stupid, claiming with confidence that I could do something when in fact I’m completely inept at it. When it comes to house projects, I feel like I live in the Valley of Despair. I have a bit of experience with things like electrical wiring, so I think I can take care of a “simple” project, and an hour later I’m throwing tools in frustration. Luckily there are times I’ve climbed the Slope of Enlightenment, recognizing my growing ability at something and increasing in confidence. And there are, I admit, only a very few things in my life where I rest on the Plateau of Sustainability…