This Is Not Normal

Donald Trump Is The Dunning — Kruger Effect Personified

He’s pretty much an imbecile in everything, only he doesn’t know he’s an imbecile.

Martie Sirois
9 min readNov 26, 2018

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“Donald Trump — Caricature” by DonkeyHotey is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

From time to time, each of us has the tendency to overestimate our competence, to think we’re better at something than we actually are. This manifests in everyday moments that can often be chalked up to pride. Like, when you struggle to assemble, say, an IKEA bunk bed, but also refuse to look at the instructions for assembly because you’re positive you don’t need them. Or when we can’t objectively discern at work — office politics aside — why someone else got the promotion we just knew we deserved.

When we aren’t overestimating ourselves and our abilities, most of us can also be prone to bouts of uncertainty. The majority of us have no shortage of self-doubt or regrets, and at times, it’s overwhelming how much we can be our own worst critics. The negative self-talk rears its ugly head when we least need it to. Yet somehow, this all balances out in the complex yin and yang of the human psyche.

But what happens when a person isn’t balanced in this way, when a person can’t (or won’t) admit they don’t have all the answers? When they don’t ever humble themselves, correct mistakes, apologize, or confess…

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Martie Sirois
Martie Sirois

Written by Martie Sirois

Covering the intersection of culture, politics & equality. Featured in Marker, HuffPost, PopSugar, Scary Mommy; heard on NPR, SiriusXM, LTYM, TIFO podcast, etc.

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