Unskilled and Unaware of It

[nash2010]

People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and intellectual domains. This overestimation occurs, in part, because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the meta cognitive ability to realize it.

Across 4 studies, the authors found that participants scoring in the bottom quartile on tests of humor, grammar, and logic grossly overestimated their test performance and ability. Although their test scores put them in the12th percentile, they estimated themselves to be in the 62nd.

Several analyses linked this miscalibration to deficits in meta cognitive skill, or the capacity to distinguish accuracy from error. Paradoxically,improving the skills of participants, and thus increasing their meta cognitive competence, helped them recognize the limitations of their abilities.

 

[jerrytz]

Thank you for sharing Nash.
The article is very Informative
I suggest that you find time and read the publications of Dunning and Cornwel there is alot of research undertaken by these two academicians.
It's surprising how often feedback is nonexistent or ambiguous.
It's a pretty safe assumption that what people say to our face is more positive than what they're saying behind our backs. People also overestimate themselves out of ignorance