Have you ever had a ‘eureka’ moment, only to find out later that your groundbreaking, earth-shattering idea is centuries old? Yea – I’ve been there – from philosophy to science I’ve ‘discovered’ concepts that great minds have pondered for ages – here’s what this humbling experience has taught me.
I’d like to introduce you to my friends Dunning and Kruger
Have you heard of the Dunning-Krueger effect? This is, in short, a cognitive bias where people with limited knowledge or skill in a specific area tend to overestimate their abilities, while experts may underestimate theirs.
Growing up, I was a voracious reader with a penchant for fiction, using it as an escape from an environment where I wasn’t content. A few years ago, I discovered Kindle Unlimited, and followed by it’s audiobook content, which propelled me into the realm of non-fiction. What made the difference? My focus! Normally, I struggle to keep my attention on non-fiction titles, but the option to accelerate the playback speed keeps me engaged, and I’m able to absorb the content more fully. Having exhausted the quality non-fiction options on Kindle Unlimited, I transitioned to Audible, where I discovered that The Great Courses has somewhere around a metric pantsload of lectures included with Audible Plus, which I have been enthusiastically devouring.
I swear I’m getting to a point here, and not just bragging, please bear with me.
Easily the largest volume of works that I have listened to belong in the Philosophy, Science, or Spirituality categories, which has lead to a lot of introspection. And in my introspection and worrying existential musings, I often find myself coming up with new ideas and concepts of reality… only they aren’t new. At all.
For example, in the past month, I managed to convince myself that i had come up with some pretty ground-breaking ideas only to later realize that they are pretty much just Laplace’s Demon, Causal Determinism, solipsism, and several other philosophical concepts. Concepts that have been around for centuries!
Hooray for Cognitive Bias
The irony here is that I used to believe that I was immune to this effect, at least in this aspect. Repeated experiences have shown me just how wrong that belief is – and is ironically, a manifestation of the Dunning-Kruger effect itself.
I’m fairly early in this leg of my metaphysical, psychological, and existential pondering, so it really shouldn’t surprise me that I’m thinking of “new” things that other people have thought of before. Humans have been around for a long, long time, and there’s have been many incredibly intelligent thinkers, whose whole existence has been about thinking.
What I didn’t realize is that the lectures were all pointing to and encompassing these concepts because they are fundamental to the study of philosophy and metaphysics.
What I’ve learned about myself
But what this experience has taught me is to be aware of my own cognitive biases, especially when I’m still new to an idea. It’s really, incredibly, easy to learn a small amount of something and suddenly think you’re an expert. Unfortunately, the only results of this belief are either embarrassment or stagnation. Now, when I find myself drifting toward the concept of “look how smart I am, I have invented the concept that if you have a computer powerful enough, you could predict the future because of what happened in the past” I make a point to research the concept further and make sure that some dude named Laplace didn’t come up with the same idea in the 18th century.
And, you know what? I kinda feel like we need to increase the philosophy we teach in high school and college because I sure would have loved to know this stuff earlier.
Moving forward
Recognizing the Dunning-Kruger effect in ourselves isn’t an indictment; it’s an invitation—to learn, to explore, and to grow. So the next time you think you’ve stumbled upon a revolutionary idea, take a moment to explore its history. You might find that you’re part of a much larger conversation, one that’s been ongoing for centuries and is richer for your participation.
Have you ever caught yourself on the confident but misguided end of the Dunning-Kruger effect? If so, how do you reel yourself back to the realm of reality and continuous learning? Share your own mental reality checks; let’s learn from each other’s experiences.
Oh – and in case you’re curious:
Laplace’s demon / Causal Determinism
This is the concept that the past determines the future. E.g. if you had a computer (or demon) powerful enough to start computing from the beginning of the universe, and could track every particle, wave, atom, and everything else, you could reliably predict the future based solely on the results of the past. This also dives into simulation theory, but unfortunately, Quantum mechanics really throws a wrench in this one’s possibility of being accurate. Causal Determinism as a whole also predates Laplace’s demon and is deeply embedded in philosophical discourse (embarrassing for me…)
Solipsism
Solipsism is a philosophical position that asserts that only the individual’s mind is certain to exist. This concept is related to, or possibly a result of, René Descartes’ cogito argument, and can be summed up as “All external reality, including other people and the physical world, may be the creation of your own mind.”
