The older I grow the more I am convinced that when it comes to human behavior, things more often than not are not what they look like.
People who talk big game, are not all that big. People who are generally extremely competitive are driven by a fear of losing. People who are so loud in voicing opinions, debating hotly on topics regarding society and politics are often less informed than actual experts. People who exhibit a sense of superiority complex are usually compensating for a hidden sense of inferiority. As a matter of fact, by definition, superiority complex is ‘an attitude of superiority which conceals actual feelings of inferiority and failure’. The most dangerous of these behavioral gymnastics; people who are less intelligent tend to overestimate their smarts.
Dunning-Kruger effect: This interesting phrase was coined by psychologists Justin Kruger and David Dunning. Get it? They described it as ‘a cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as greater than it is. It is related to illusory superiority and comes from the inability of people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence’. In a strange twist the ace performers are more likely to underrate themselves because whenever they find a skill easy they assume other people do too. This is the imposter syndrome.
An inflated sense of self worth doesn’t just happen. Usually these people have been made to feel somewhat inadequate. This rejection drives them to an insatiable ambition with the goal to prove their intelligence. This of course will lead them to obsessively seek to thrive on a particular skill. In social settings, they tend to unconsciously associate more with people they feel are of the same level or lower cognitive ability since they cannot handle having their certainty challenged. Over time, should they lean more on the side of those they consider lesser in some capacity, this isolation leads to a self-evident bias. If you ask them, they are always the smartest in the room. And in such rooms, they are right to think so.
Listen, self-assess yourself. I have done it. It’s not pretty, but laying down your own illusions of grandeur is enlightening. If you feel that consistently you are always the best; I encourage to look a little closely. The more you learn, the more you realize how limited you are. The more you travel the more you understand just how little you know. Smart people much as they will enjoy the company of their peers will also want to be in the company of those they consider smarter. That is what knowledge does; it illuminates areas in which you are lacking and where you are excelling. If you ever felt like you were a little too smart, challenge yourself. Go outside your comfort zone. Some people are intelligent than others. Not being smart enough isn’t a crime by itself. Mental acuity is not the only source of success. Some people excel in areas that don’t require it. However, should you think you are always the smartest & the best of both worlds, well, allow me to call you delusional.
Lastly, self-esteem is an emotional judgment of your own self worth. Truth is, sound self-esteem doesn’t come from placing ourselves above or below other people; cognitively speaking or otherwise. As a matter of fact, it comes from the understanding that all human beings have both strengths and weaknesses. So objectively, this being a phenomenon on all human beings, it’s only natural that we will excel in one area and lack in another. Where we lack, another compensates and vice versa. This, and only this is the foundation on which to build your sense of self.
Written by Grace Muriuki
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