Know-nothing arrogance

[cjsmith]

(This idea has been running through my brain for some time. I finally said it in a comment in someone else's journal. Reposting, after nitpicky edits, here.)

There should be a specific word meaning "the type and amount of arrogance that leads a person with no formal training and no experience in a particular subject to believe he knows that subject better than someone who has lots of formal training and/or lots of experience in it". 'Cause it's common enough to deserve a name.

Whatever people decide to call it, I hope it's surgically correctable.

Comments

[altitudeandwine.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear!
As for the word... perhaps we should call it after someone who's particularly 'good' at it. ;-D

[deedeebythebay.livejournal.com]

Something like "Bushing the issue"?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've seen just as many lefties do it. Maybe more, hate to say. Political leaning is no indicator of common sense or competence. :-/

[altitudeandwine.livejournal.com]

I'm unsure if that's specific enough :D
There's so many things that you can be thought to indicate that way.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you said "and" there... since I've got a pet peeve in the opposite direction, the one where people think that formal training is necessarily better or more desirable than experience. Additonally, how do you account for TALENT or natural ability? Some people have LOTS of formal training and still can do FOO to save their souls, where some people step in as relative neophytes and kick the butts of those with multiple advanced degrees. Education is not necessarily equal to competency.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've got a pet peeve in the opposite direction, the one where people think that formal training is necessarily better or more desirable than experience.

True enough. Both can be excellent teachers.

Additonally, how do you account for TALENT or natural ability?

I just figured someone with zero experience has no sound reason to claim natural talent. He could be immensely talented, sure -- but neither he nor anyone else knows that. :-)

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

I just figured someone with zero experience has no sound reason to claim natural talent. He could be immensely talented, sure -- but neither he nor anyone else knows that. :-)

Oh, I'm with you there... Especially as regards this particular BS artist you are discussing. :^P

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh, the source of my comment elsewhere? But ah, it's soooo applicable to soooo many! :-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

BS Artist works for me, and I think the corrective surgery is a cranio-rectal inversion. ;-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

When I'm Queen the surgery will be inexpensive, quick, and possible to give as a gift from a ...concerned friend. ;-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

And no anaesthetic? ;-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Aw sure, anaesthetic. I think the sudden post-op clarity would be painful enough!

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

For a minute there I thought you were talking about me. That I-know-what-I'm-talking-about-and-I-can-make-up-statistics-to-prove-it authoritative voice is something I picked up at Harvard. Very handy...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wasn't at all. But I'd like to learn that voice. I may as well carry the right armament for the next idjit who picks a fight with me! :)

[airporter.livejournal.com]

I'd like to introduce you to my boss, when next you visit YVR. I'm quite certain he'll qualify for the 'gift' of surgery.

In the meantime, when he claims expert level knowledge of subjects in the future, I'm just going to think "cranio-rectal inversion".

Importantly, when I get in THAT mode, I'll remind myself at that time as well. :-)

[allanh.livejournal.com]

"Delusions of competency."

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Now Allen, it goes beyond that - delusions of excellence, maybe.

[jcgbigler.livejournal.com]

I think "presumptuous" works pretty well. If that's not quite it, how about "militant ignorant"?

Reminiscent of Derek Bok's wonderful quote, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Presumptuous is very good. Closer even than hubris -- more specific.

I do love that quote!

[apparentparadox]

I can't locate the source right now, but I remember reading about a study where they discovered something like the more you understand a subject, the better you are at judging your understanding of the subject (and vice versa). In other words, those people who really don't know what they are talking about don't even know that they don't know what they are talking about, and actually probably *can't* know that they don't know what they are talking about.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I remember that study too. The implications are queasymaking.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Is that like the old Zen parable about "The more you know, the more you know you DON'T know"?

[airporter.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like that one! May I, please?

[allanh.livejournal.com]

You may, but I'm not sure why, where, or when.

[erisian-fields.livejournal.com]

Wow. You just totally described my ex.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that! :-/

[firecat]

In my quote file, stolen from a news report about that competency study:

One reason that the ignorant also tend to be the blissfully self-assured...is that the skills required for competence often are the same skills necessary to recognize competence. -- San Francisco Chronicle, 1-18-00

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah. A little cautious-making, that fact. :-/