I knew about it and observe it regularly, but it did not know it had a name: the Dunning-Kruger effect. It is basically the illusion of being competent when one is not. This is specifically applicable when someone starts to learn in a new field.
The Dunning-Kruger effect or “the cognitive bias of illusory superiority” would stem from “an internal illusion in people of low ability and from an external misperception in people of high ability“. What is quite amazing is that apparently this cognitive bias has only been formally described and documented in 1999!
The funny part of course is that “The identification derived from the cognitive bias evident in the criminal case of McArthur Wheeler, who robbed banks while his face was covered with lemon juice, which he believed would make it invisible to the surveillance cameras.”
More seriously, this illusion has daily unfortunate consequences in organisations, and I have observed also that the education system of some countries tends to increase prevalence.
At least the next time you encounter this symptom you’ll be able to put name on it!
