Title: The Long and Winding Road to Knowing Thyself: Why Accurate Self-Knowledge is So Difficult to Achieve

“Know thyself!” exhorted the ancient Greeks, but it turns out that accurate self-understanding is difficult to gain, particularly when it comes to evaluating our knowledge and expertise. I discuss recent psychology research showing common biases people display when judging their skill and know-how, the costs (and occasional benefits) of those biases, as well as describe best practices to potentially avoid them. It all boils down to following this wise, old admonishment: When arguing with a fool, just make sure that the other person is not likewise engaged.

David Dunning is Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan and Faculty Affiliate of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute of Social Research. He taught for several years at Cornell University, where he is Professor Emeritus. An author, co-author, or co-editor of nearly 150 journal articles, book chapters, commentaries, and reviews, he has served as president of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and the Society for the Study of Motivation. He received the 2016 Award for Lifetime Achievement from the International Society for Self and Identity, and has written articles for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Politico, Quartz, Pacific Standard, Scientific American MIND, and the Guardian (UK). His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Templeton Foundation, as well as featured in more popular outlets as diverse as the New York Times, This American Life, and Doonesbury.