Insecurity Can Help You Grow as A Person
The Dunning-Kruger Effect Can Help You Recognise the Other Side of Insecurity
Insecurity can strike us in the most unwanted ways. Insecurity is a feeling of lacking self-confidence and doubting the self-ability of many aspects within ourselves. A variety of factors can cause insecurity. According to Eric Patterson, a professional counsellor from Pennsylvania, the following are some factors that can lead to insecurity:
- Lack of emotional support from close ones (family and friends)
- Physiology (primary needs) dissatisfaction
- Inadequate cognitive, emotional, or academic intelligence
As human beings that born without perfection, we all have flaws. Perhaps we hear that overused phrase all the time. However, it is a cliché because it is true! Our minds are constantly bombarded with “I am not good enough!” thoughts. Insecurity has always been a negative emotion that burdened us all. Insecurity can have a negative impact on our daily productivity, inhibit our socialisation process, impede our learning and work activity, and even disrupt our physical and mental health.
What is the Dunning-Kruger Effect?
Let us take a deep dive into the other side of insecurity. As a matter of fact, feeling insecure is entirely normal. Moreover, insecurity can serve as a springboard for our personal growth. How is that possible? Let us proceed to the explanation of the Dunning-Kruger Effect below!
Dunning and Kruger, two American psychologists, developed the concept known as “The Dunning-Kruger Effect”. One common sign of The Dunning-Kruger Effect is an overestimation of one's level of skill and ability. They cannot evaluate their limitations because they are incapable of performing metacognition. Metacognition, as defined by John Flavell (1976), is the practice of being aware of our thinking way or the knowledge about our thinking process.
They conducted research and divided the subjects into three categories for the participants to test: humour, logical reasoning, and grammar. As a result, all participants with a low score are most confident in their understanding of the topics tested. Their inability to implement metacognition fosters excessive self-confidence and the belief that they are better than other participants. It also caused them to be unable to recognise their faults and deprivation. This phenomenon explains why the lower one’s competencies are, the more difficult it is to identify their deficiencies.
After learning about the Dunning-Kruger Effect, we can conclude that being able to identify our limitations and recognise something that we can truly be good at is a sign that we can see ourselves objectively. Hopefully, we can evaluate our way of thinking or implement metacognition. That puts us one step closer to becoming better individuals! One step back, two steps forward. Isn’t that fascinating?
Being confident is beneficial. In fact, confidence is a must-have. However, suppose we have exaggerated confidence, making it difficult to evaluate ourselves. In that case, it is better to be self-aware so that we do not have to deal with the negative consequences of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
Oh, hold on a second. Insecurity can be beneficial if you handle it correctly. If you do nothing to overcome it, you will undoubtedly experience the negative effects of insecurity. Eric Patterson shared some advice on how to “befriend” insecurity:
- Self-evaluation and self-introspection are necessary to determine the sources of our insecurity. The first step in overcoming a problem is to comprehend its resource and validate that something is wrong and that we need to do something about it. Doing that is supposed to help you think and see things more clearly.
- Share your feelings of insecurity with those you trust. Perhaps doing this is uncomfortable and difficult for you at first. However, communicating your negative emotions can help you feel better and relieve the burdens on your mind, especially if they offer genuine support and constructive affirmations.
- Do not forget to appreciate yourself! Knowing that no one in this world was born perfect can help you to focus on your strengths and potential.
- Improve your routine by doing positive things for your body, such as exercising, eating healthily, learning to manage your stress, and so on. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Taking care of your body and appearance will make you feel good and comfortable in your own skin.
- If you believe your insecurity is too difficult to manage on your own, seek immediate assistance from a professional (counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist).
Aside from internal factors, external factors can also contribute to insecurity. One thing you should consider is avoiding situations or surrounding that may worsen your insecurity. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable environment, ask yourself, “Am I doing the right thing by staying in this situation or keeping these specific people?”. Or should you keep your distance from them? It is your decision.
“Falling is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.” — Socrates
References:
buletin.k-pin.org/index.php/arsip-artikel/795-dunning-kruger-effect-inkompeten-yang-merasa-kompeten
www.choosingtherapy.com/insecurity/
news.unair.ac.id/2021/07/13/unair-psychology-lecturer-shares-tips-to-overcome-insecurity/?lang=en
Jennifer A. Livingston, Metacognition: An Overview, http://gse.buffalo.edu/fas/shuell/cep564/metacog.htm
H.F. O’Neil Jr & R.S. Brown, Differential Effects of Question Formats in Math Assessment on Metacognition and Affect, (Los Angeles: CRESST-CSE University of California, 1997), page 3
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201512/the-3-most-common-causes-insecurity-and-how-beat-them
(MHB, July 2022)
