The Value of Study

Psychology tells us of a particular oddity about our self-assessment: we often believe we are better at something than we really are. Termed the Dunning-Kruger effect (named for the researchers in a 1999 study), it suggests that we’re actually quite bad at determining our competency at particular skills; overestimating when we are novices, but underestimating when we’ve done some study. Part of that has to do with realization of just how much is involved with a particular skill: before we begin to study a topic, we don’t know how deep it goes, and can assume that it’s easy because we know so little about it. And yet as we go deeper into that topic, we see how much we don’t know or haven’t mastered, and estimate our ability as lower than it really is. Only after we’ve spent sufficient time to develop real expertise do we more accurately access our competency.

We can encounter this with any skill or topic. As a music teacher, I encounter this effect on a regular basis. Many students believe that learning to play or write music is an easy task, precisely because they haven’t gotten deeply into it. As they progress into more challenging material, their confidence drops because they start to see how very hard it can be. This is a reason I believe one of the important aspects of being a good teacher is to encourage, so as to help their students through that difficult transition of confidence.

There is good news: when you really understand something, your confidence recovers! That isn’t quick or easy, but it is possible with the right kind of work and support. A good teacher will show you how much you need to learn, but also help you get there.

Aside from expertise in a topic, one of the huge benefits of in-depth study is an element of character: humility. When we realize how hard it is to truly become good at anything, we start to recognize our limitations and admire true competency in others.