back to the kayaking analogy and the 'adequacy equation' There is a great cartoon video about the Pungo kayak. It addresses the Dunning-Kruger effect in a very effective way. What is the Dunning-Kruger effect and how does it apply to sailing? and boat sales? well........... read on. Here is a cut and paste that summarizes the D-K effect.
When a rank beginner takes an rental sail boat out for the first time they enter into the first stages of the D-K effect, overestimating their own level of skill. (Raise your hands if you have witnessed this!) A boat that can produce this result is not necessarily a BAD boat, just because it doesn't point or go fast. It produces the desired result, a pleasant and affirming experience. This is a boat that might, in fact, sell well, just as the Pungo kayak did. The Pungo Kayak created an exponential growth in the sport of kayaking because you couldn't capsize it and you could get it back to shore, hence giving a positive result. Sales of the Pungo created a soaring base of customers that eventually desired to upgrade.1. Incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill.
2. Incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others.
3. Incompetent individuals fail …to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy.
4. If they can be trained to substantially improve their own skill level, these individuals can recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill.
The above points, copied from Wikipedia, about the Dunning-Kruger effect spell-out the themes playing in the video. It serves as an excellent example of some of the dangers involved in rating your own skill level as a beginner in the sport. Because of the D-K effect, when I see newspaper reports about paddling accidents that list the paddler as intermediate, I give pause. Typically, the paddler isn’t.
The video is worth your time, because it’ll make you LOL while informing about a more important issue.
Here's the link to the video....... take a look if you want a good laugh about the D-K effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrRglDrPMmQ
............. to be continued...................