October, 7 2015 – A new study reveals that 89% of Americans believe that they posses just as much intelligence, if not more intelligence than their peers. In other words, 89% of society believes they are smarter then everyone else in society. This is of course amusing because statistically 49% of everyone must have below average intelligence.
The reasoning behind the phenomenon in this study is apparent, hubris. In 2000 there was a paper published called “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments”. This won a Nobel prize. I recommend reading this. To sum it up: “People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and intellectual domains”. The authors suggest that this overestimation occurs, in part, “because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the cognitive ability to realize it.”
Primus inter pares: first among equals. The comfort of our modern times has given people the hubris of self entitlement. The idea we alone as an individual knows what is best. That if everyone ‘just thought like me, the world would be a perfect place’. The vote of the most liberal democrat in society counts equally with the most conservative republican in society. The vote of the homeless man on the street counts equally to the the man in the convertible BMW driving past him.This knowledge should humble us all. We live in perhaps the most comfortable period of time in the history of the world. We have the ability to do great things. The only thing which stands in societies way is our own hubris’. Never be too arrogant to believe you are beyond learning something new or assume that you alone know whats best. Work together, it is not too late to help change the world. This starts when people stop believing they are better than and or above everyone else.
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