A Scientific Explanation for Forum Scrubs

[IdleMind]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning_kruger_effect

Special Credit to CC (emoprinny) for bringing this to my attention. This speaks to me on a level where I suddenly understand something I've observed (and done myself!) for years.

Choicest bits:

The hypothesized phenomenon was tested in a series of experiments performed by Justin Kruger and David Dunning, both then of Cornell University.[2][5] Kruger and Dunning noted earlier studies suggesting that ignorance of standards of performance is behind a great deal of incompetence. This pattern was seen in studies of skills as diverse as reading comprehension, operating a motor vehicle, and playing chess or tennis.
Kruger and Dunning proposed that, for a given skill, incompetent people will:

1. tend to overestimate their own level of skill;
2. fail to recognize genuine skill in others;
3. fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy;
4. recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill, if they can be trained to substantially improve.

To me this describes 99% of people who post in Tier list threads, balance wishlist threads, and just plain Global Colloseo online.

 

[ShenYu]

I approve of this thread.

 

[Hot Rod Dave]

More beautiful words have never been spoken. A stroke of genious. I have copied and saved this cause i know this will come up in the near and distant future.

 

[PANDA]

"Actual competence may weaken self-confidence, as competent individuals may falsely assume that others have an equivalent understanding".

truer words were never spoken

 

[SoNG-Of-SiLeNCe]

I like this. Except for the global colosseo part. At my level of skill I'm learning even from randoms >_>