Fal l 2022 www.nvda.org 3 Editor’s Message But, for me personally, DunningKruger holds true. While a teenager with a male brain, my abilities were often grossly overestimated, such as when body surfing at the Wedge,2 riding my skateboard (Figure 3) down Cadbury, or trying to ride my bike down Monte Vista—with my eyes closed. This kind of unrealistic thinking often results in death,3 but in my case the worst result was a supine recovery of consciousness in a pick-up truck bed, with my bike crumpled under the rear fender. The lesson learned was that circumspection is important both physically and mentally. As a young OMS in Las Vegas, I fielded difficult cases from several states, including some from former instructors. Things always turned out well, but ultimately being sued after accepting a case that several others had wisely turned down was an awful experience. I prevailed legally, but that process took years that were peppered with many sleep-deprived nights. I had already begun to selflimit acceptance of the more herodontic offerings and fully removed “easy, simple, and minor” descriptors from my dental lexicon.4 my opinion…,” or simply “At this time, I believe...” When offering opinions, employing reasonable references (scientific or even third-party validation testimonials) is also valuable. Overstating credentials or experience can subject doctors to civil and criminal liability if a controversy later arises.9 Also, when offering one’s thoughts, graciously acknowledging others’ reasonable opinions is a strength, not a weakness. These techniques allow a lot of wiggle-room if one’s own conclusions are later seen to be incorrect. Further, acknowledging one’s own incorrect analyses can be an empowering technique based on humility. Of course, if one’s opinion is later seen to be correct, it can be entertaining to see the reaction of prideful and incorrect propagandists.10 Fight on! 0 Another aspect of Dunning-Kruger is that just as the relatively young are the ones who generally overestimate their abilities, occasionally older individuals start wondering if they have any skills at all, even for tasks successfully completed thousands of times. This has been written about in many academic studies5 for the health professions, such as anesthesiology,6 and of course dentistry.7 In some areas, Dunning-Kruger has been notoriously prevalent, such as in politics. Paraphrasing a former President: “The trouble with some people is not that they’re ignorant, it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.”8 Logic and truth are not necessarily important to some communicators, such as propagandists, who try to obscure the truth with prevarications in order to deceitfully accumulate power. Sadly, many innocent people, to their own ultimate detriment, simply go along with whatever skilled propagandists say. As the Latin says: “caveat emptor” (let the buyer, including ourselves and our patients, beware when entering into any kind of contractual relationship). For dentists interested in accuracy, opinions and works can be empowered and future evaluations not dismissed out-of-hand by employing several strategies. When opining about politics, religion, or even dental controversies wherein both sides claim, for instance, “the science,” professionals may be wellserved by stating something like: “Based on what I’ve studied…,” “In References Kruger J, Dunning D. Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999;77(6):1121-1134. Jacobson B. The Dirty Old Wedge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi_ KHwDjPY4. YouTube. Accessed July 11, 2022. Various Contributors, Annual Darwin Awards, darwinawards.com. Accessed July 14, 2022. Orr D, It’s Not Easy, It’s Not Minor, and It’s Not Simple!, NDAJ, 14:1, 3-4, Spring 2012. Kennedy EJ, Lawton L, Plumlee EL, Blissful Ignorance: The Problem of Unrecognized Incompetence and Academic Performance. Journal of Marketing, Education. 2002;24(3):243-252. Glass, PS., Peer Review: Through the Looking Glass., Anesthesia & Analgesia. May 2015;120(5):997-999. Freeman BV, Glassman G. Confidence vs Competence in Dentistry. Oral Health. May 10, 2022. Reagan R, “A Time for Choosing.” Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. October 27, 1964. https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/reagans/ronald -reagan/time-choosing-speech-october-27-1964. Accessed July 13, 2022. Duttry vs Patterson, 741A.2d 199 (PA 1999) Phillips J, Fauci Concedes COVID-19 Vaccines “Don’t Protect Overly Well” Against Infection, The Epic Times, July 13 2022, https:// www.theepochtimes.com/fauci-makes-surprising-concession -regarding-covid-19-vaccines_4595318.html?utm_source=Morningbrief&utm_ campaign=mb-2022-07-14&utm_medium=email&est= 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Figure 2 Luke sharing the price of scientific inquiry, a drained digit. st=9NCwSsjbanNsa%2FQ%2B2Izv9RYTLZIpgVSdTg%2Bq6srhGNfNCQrSw YC8TGfKussI.Accessed July 14 2022.
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