MR WRONG: Don't stop believing
Indignity Vol. 5, No. 192
COLUMN DEP’T.
MR WRONG: I'm Confident I Have a Good Handle on This Dunning-Kruger Thing
I READ A thing today about the Dunning–Kruger effect, and I am pretty sure I have that, the effect, and also if it presents an affect, I am that also, effect-wise. It’s supposed to be this thing where if you are bad at something, you think you are good at it, and first of all I know we are talking about Science, but it’s kinda mean to say somebody’s bad at stuff, unless you are like, their boss or something, or a critic? Har! Dunning-Kruger Movie Reviews! “Martin Scorsese thinks he is good at movies, but like, The Irishman! Killers of the Flower Moon!
So I think I understand the idea of the Effect, it’s like, you are bad at stuff, and you are so bad, you can’t tell that other people are good, which makes sense, but like, are there a recorded case of somebody in a bowling league who has the D-KE? I mean, in a bowling league, you bowl, and you keep score, for the League standings, and in bowling, you can roll a perfect game, 300, all strikes, so you know what the best bowling is, pro level, approaching 300, and if you are in an amateur bowling league, and errbody on your team is bowling like, 210, and you are doing 100, then you kinda stink at bowling, no offense, but your score today for three games was 90, 110, and 87, and the rest of the team averaged 220, you are not good at bowling, but is there somebody out there, scientifically, who thinks they are good at bowling, and they do like 115? I mean, is part of the D-KE having excuses and stuff?
Anyway, I think I def might have the Dunn-Krugs, because you know what I think I am excellent at? Column! You’re reading it! I mean, I been typing the Mr. Wrong column since the late ‘90s, I think, and even though the Mr. Wrong column is Award-Winning, and I get paid to play, so I am Pro, I am not getting rich behind it, like all these mugs at the New York Times! I am way better at columning! All they do is say the opposite of what’s going on, like, “the Democrats did [A THING], and that’s bad,” no matter what the fucking Democrats do, and then also, they write stuff like “that popular thing that is popular is not really good, it’s just popular.” That’s like, projecting Dunning-Kruger, I think, but anyway, I obviously am not as good at Columning as I think, because I still have to have a Day Job, but you know what? I am self-aware, and I got a column out of it! Hah! So not only do I believe I have a D-K Effect, I am an “outlier,” if you will, according to the D part of the D-K, as seen in Wikipedia:
Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition. The problem with it is we see it in other people, and we don't see it in ourselves. The first rule of the Dunning–Kruger club is you don't know you're a member of the Dunning–Kruger club. —David Dunning
OK, back to what my column was supposed to be this week for a minute, which is that there’s two columns worth of topic this week! There’s a lot going on, it’s Halloween, which is always a solid topic for a column, even in the stupid New York Times, I mean, this year cacao is really expensive, supply and demand, cacao shortage, sugar tariff! No chocolate for the kiddies this year! All I’m giving out for Halloween is Dum-Dums! Trick or Treat, and this year the Treat is a Trick! That’s a column all by itself! Cacao!
However, also, it’s fucking Daylight [SOMETHING] Time, I can never get this shit straight, are we saving, are we spending, what are we doing? All I know for sure is that in the Eastern Time Zone, where I dwell, we are supposed to, in honor of what, a Social Contract, we are supposed to be setting Time Itself back one hour on Saturday/Sunday. Right now it’s getting dark at around 6 p.m., which is bad enough, but next week when I am at my desk and it’s a little after 5 p.m., I am going to be depressed when I look out the window and it’s dark out! And don’t tell me the part about how it’s sunrise an hour earlier because I don’t get up that early! I hate Time!
Look at this crap! I have a Scientific chart!
I can’t take it! The supply of Daylight is dwindling, but at least I still think I am good at columning, even though also I know that I’m not as good as I think, even though I think I am pretty good! Maybe I might not be as good at Dunning-Krugering as I thought? Thank you.
The MR. WRONG COLUMN is a general-interest column appearing weekly. No refunds. Write Wrong: wrongcolumn@gmail.com.
WEATHER REVIEWS
New York City, October 29, 2025
★★ The humid chill wasn't anything to bundle up against, just a nagging discomfort. The clouds over midday had weak spots but no breaks between them. Even the colors of the trees were muted. The wind bit harder for a moment and afterward the dampness felt almost stuffy. The scritch and shuff of rakes and brooms rose from park volunteers cleaning up the paths. A whole flock of juncos, previously invisible, came scattering down from a chestnut oak onto the lawn, like so many raindrops shaken loose by a southwest gust.
EASY LISTENING DEP'T.
HERE IS TODAY'S Indignity Morning Podcast!
Tom Scocca
Here is the Indignity Morning Podcast archive!
TOM SCOCCA
VISUAL CONSCIOUSNESS DEP'T.
Halloween at the Supermarket
More consciousness at Instagram.
ADVICE DEP'T.
HEY! DO YOU like advice columns? They don't happen unless you send in some letters! Surely you have something you want to justify to yourself, or to the world at large. Now is the perfect time to share it with everyone else through The Sophist, the columnist who is not here to correct you, but to tell you why you're right. Direct your questions to The Sophist, at indignity@indignity.net, and get the answers you want.
SANDWICH RECIPES DEP'T.
WE PRESENT INSTRUCTIONS in aid of the assembly of a sandwich selected from C.L.C. Tombola Cook Book, by the Ladies of Cornwall and Friends of the Cornwall Lacrosse Club, published in 1909 and available at archive.org for the delectation of all.
EGG SANDWICHES.
Chop two hard boiled eggs; add olive oil and seasonings, until of the consistency to spread. Use for a filling for graham bread sandwiches.
If you decide to prepare and attempt to enjoy a sandwich inspired by this offering, be sure to send a picture to indignity@indignity.net .
SELF-SERVING SELF-PROMOTION DEP'T.
Indignity is presented on Ghost. Indignity recommends Ghost for your Modern Publishing needs. Indignity gets a slice if you do this successfully!
