Why is true growth painful?

Looking back, have you ever felt like you wanted to crawl into a hole because you realized, "I might have been overestimating my abilities at that time"?
Even if you have never experienced this yourself, this is a recommended article that simply summarizes content that might be helpful if you know someone around you who has.

The trap that people who tend to overconfidently think "I can do it" fall into: What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?

Today, I would like to delve deeper with everyone into a somewhat ironic psychological phenomenon that we may experience in our daily lives: the "Dunning-Kruger effect."

This is one of the human "cognitive biases" where one evaluates their own abilities and skills far higher than they actually are.

How to explain the effect in one word?

"The less capable people are, the more they overestimate their abilities and become full of confidence."

This is the core of the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Why does this happen? The answer is, "Because the person lacks the knowledge or skills themselves to realize their own low ability." In other words, they are in a state where they lack the knowledge to know "how much they do not know."

The "rollercoaster" of knowledge and confidence

1. The summit: "Mount Stupid"

• State: Immediately after gaining a small amount of knowledge or experience.

• Characteristics: Confidence reaches its peak. You fall under the illusion that "I understand everything in this field!" or "I am a genius!" and become overconfident. This is the stage where the Dunning-Kruger effect is most prominent, where confidence is high despite low ability.

2. Rock Bottom: "The Valley of Despair"

• State: When you have gained further learning and experience.

• Characteristics: As your knowledge increases, you are confronted with the reality of "how little you actually know," and your confidence plummets. You feel that "the more you know, the more you realize your own immaturity," leading to a temporary slump.

3. Resurfacing: "The Slope of Enlightenment"

• State: A stage of continuous effort and learning.

• Characteristics: Based on realistic self-assessment, you steadily improve your abilities. Your confidence also gradually recovers and begins to align with your actual capabilities.

4. Stability: "The Sustainable Plateau"

• State: The state of having become a true expert or professional.

• Characteristics: You possess humility and a stable confidence based on your actual skills. This is "true mastery."

Concrete examples that occur in real life

This effect can be seen in all situations, including business, skill acquisition, and daily driving.

<How the Dunning-Kruger effect manifests>

・After learning a new programming language for just one week, you think you have already mastered it and disregard the opinions of experienced engineers.

・When you get some results soon after starting a sport or hobby, you become overconfident that you have talent and neglect basic practice.

・A few months after getting your driver's license, you become overconfident that you are a good driver, leading to speeding or reckless overtaking.

Actions to take in the Valley of Despair

Overcoming the Valley of Despair is the only path to true mastery (the Slope of Enlightenment).

1. Acceptance and redefinition of emotions:

   • Redefine feelings of despair as a sign that you are growing. Accept that the pain is proof that your standards have risen.

2. Breaking down goals:

   • Instead of being overwhelmed by the vast ocean of knowledge, break down what you need to do into very small steps. Accumulating small, easily achievable successes, such as 'perfecting just this one page today,' will lead to the recovery of your confidence.

3. Utilizing mentors and peers:

   • Interact with people who have experienced the Valley of Despair or peers who are learning with you now. Knowing that everyone is going through the same experience will reduce feelings of isolation and make it easier to maintain motivation.

4. Continuous objective feedback:

   • Do not be swayed by temporary emotions; continue to seek objective evaluations (feedback) from people you trust. This will serve as a compass to confirm whether you are heading in the right direction.

Achieving true growth

Rather than taking a step back to find relief, overcoming the current pain to achieve 'true growth' is overwhelmingly more valuable in the long run.

'Humility' is the shortcut to the best kind of confidence.

How was it?

I hope this is helpful for your reference.

Thank you for reading my article again today.

May you have another fruitful and brilliant day today.

This is the second part of this article. Please take a look below.