Incompetent people don’t realize that they are incompetent

Based on a new study reported by the NYT, people who do things badly

are usually supremely confident of their abilities -- more confident, in fact, than people who do things well.

Humor-impaired joke-tellers rated themselves as funny . . .

One reason that the ignorant also tend to be the blissfully self-assured, the researchers believe, is that the skills required for competence often are the same skills necessary to recognize competence.

It would seem, then, that you shouldn't ever ask someone whether they are good at what they do. This is a good reason to downplay the importance of oral interviews.

Continue ReadingIncompetent people don’t realize that they are incompetent

Tim Russert is being called a great journalist merely because he recently died.

Tim Russert is dead and it is certainly a tragedy for his family and friends. May he rest in peace. Contrary to what numerous media sources are now reporting, however, Russert was not a great journalist. Rather, he was one of the many modern celebrity journalists who got so incredibly…

Continue ReadingTim Russert is being called a great journalist merely because he recently died.