How to Use the Dunning-Kruger Effect to Achieve Great Things

In 1999 a study was released by two social psychologists, David Dunning and Justin Kruger.  The main conclusion in the study was that people will low abilities at a task over-estimate their ability to do it.  For example, most people, usually around 9 out of 10, feel that they are above average drivers.  Naturally this cannot be the case as the number of above average drivers must be closer to 5 out of 10.  This does not stop people from thinking they are better than they are at this and many other tasks.

Another interesting result of the study was the discovery of the exact opposite in high performers.  People will high abilities tended to under-estimate their abilities.  This means that people who are in fact high performers think that they are not as good as they actually are!

We can use this information to make us more efficient, effective and successful at whatever we are striving for.  Very few people are above average in many things; usually it is just a few, if any.  The research shows that we tend not to be good judges of our own abilities, so the best thing to do would be to speak to people who would give us honest opinions on what we are good at and just as importantly what we are not good at.

People like teachers, parents, business owners and anyone that is successful in the field we are interested in and who knows us well are great choices.  We also need to keep in mind their ability to judge us and we need to be certain that their opinion is valid.  Would we trade places with that person and is the advice they are giving coming from an objective place?

Once we have gone through this process, we can then determine what we are best at and concentrate on that most of the time.  Just as importantly, we can stop doing the things we are not good at and delegate them to others to do, keeping our focus on our strengths. 

By using an objective analysis of our strengths and weaknesses we can increase our success exponentially.