That’s the thing. Many would say that declaring it out loud is already proof it’s not true, but I’m not sure that logic holds up.
I can totally imagine a person of below-average intelligence thinking they’re smart. But would a genuinely smart person conversely think they’re actually stupid? I don’t think so. They might be more humble about all the things they realize they don’t know, but that’s a different thing.
Also, being socially clumsy and saying stuff like that is exactly what I’d expect from a truly intelligent person. When I picture an actual genius, social skills aren’t the first thing that comes to mind.
Intelligence might be desireable but it can come with trade-offs. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum and may not thus be all good.
But would a genuinely smart person conversely think they’re actually stupid?
There have been studies that disagree with you. The less you know, the more you think you know. The more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know.
They might be more humble about all the things they realize they don’t know, but that’s a different thing.
This doesn’t mean they think they’re less intelligent than average. They just have a more accurate view of their actual skill level.
A person might be highly competent in their field and objectively well above average in knowledge, yet still remain acutely aware of how much more there is to know - stuff they didn’t even realize existed when they started.
I don’t think that knowing how much you don’t know equates to believing that you’re stupid. I know enough about a few subjects to know that I couldn’t do them professionally, but I still don’t feel stupid in those areas because I know more about them than the average person.
That’s exactly the point. People who know less than you do think that they could do it. They’re ignorant of their ignorance.
The most relatable example I can think of: how often has your boss come to you and asked for something that’s super complicated, but he thinks it’s easy to do because he doesn’t know enough.
That’s the thing. Many would say that declaring it out loud is already proof it’s not true, but I’m not sure that logic holds up.
I can totally imagine a person of below-average intelligence thinking they’re smart. But would a genuinely smart person conversely think they’re actually stupid? I don’t think so. They might be more humble about all the things they realize they don’t know, but that’s a different thing.
Also, being socially clumsy and saying stuff like that is exactly what I’d expect from a truly intelligent person. When I picture an actual genius, social skills aren’t the first thing that comes to mind.
Intelligence might be desireable but it can come with trade-offs. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum and may not thus be all good.
There have been studies that disagree with you. The less you know, the more you think you know. The more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t know.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10626367/
That’s why I said:
This doesn’t mean they think they’re less intelligent than average. They just have a more accurate view of their actual skill level.
A person might be highly competent in their field and objectively well above average in knowledge, yet still remain acutely aware of how much more there is to know - stuff they didn’t even realize existed when they started.
No, that’s the opposite. Humility is when you know you’re good but don’t flaunt it. These people know enough to know they’re NOT good.
I don’t think that knowing how much you don’t know equates to believing that you’re stupid. I know enough about a few subjects to know that I couldn’t do them professionally, but I still don’t feel stupid in those areas because I know more about them than the average person.
That’s exactly the point. People who know less than you do think that they could do it. They’re ignorant of their ignorance.
The most relatable example I can think of: how often has your boss come to you and asked for something that’s super complicated, but he thinks it’s easy to do because he doesn’t know enough.