You’re Not as Smart as You Think (And That’s Okay!)

Socrates Had It Right All Along

Imagine walking into a debate, completely convinced you’re right, only to be humbled by someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. Sound familiar? That’s the Dunning-Kruger Effect at work—the delightful cognitive bias where people who know little about a topic think they know everything, while those with deep knowledge tend to doubt themselves because they see the complexity of the subject.

But guess what? Over 2,000 years before psychologists Dunning and Kruger put their names on this effect, Socrates had already figured it out. His famous claim—“I know that I know nothing”—wasn’t just philosophical poetry. It was a profound insight into human ignorance and the dangers of overconfidence.

The wisest person, Socrates argued, is not the one who thinks they have all the answers, but the one who recognizes their own ignorance and keeps asking questions. And if we applied a little more Socratic wisdom today, we might just avoid a lot of unnecessary arguments, embarrassing overestimations, and bad life decisions.

Why We Think We Know More Than We Do

Our brains love shortcuts. Learning a tiny bit about something gives us a false sense of expertise. It’s why people who watch a few YouTube videos on investing suddenly think they can outsmart Wall Street, or why someone who skimmed one article on health believes they can out-argue a doctor.

But true experts—the ones who have studied a subject deeply—tend to hesitate before making bold claims. Not because they’re uncertain, but because they understand the complexity of things. They see the gray areas. They ask more questions. In short, they do exactly what Socrates did: they remain humble in the face of knowledge.

Socrates asking questions

The Socratic Antidote: Empathy and Critical Thinking

The problem isn’t just that we overestimate our knowledge—it’s that we resist correcting it. We get defensive. We double down on bad opinions. We’d rather “win” an argument than admit we don’t know something.

Socrates, however, had a different approach: he asked questions. Instead of lecturing, he made people think through their own logic, exposing contradictions and flawed assumptions. This Socratic Method is still one of the best ways to develop critical thinking and overcome the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Socrates didn’t argue to “win”—he sought understanding. Empathy works the same way. It reminds us that we don’t have all the answers and that others have perspectives worth listening to.

• Before dismissing someone’s opinion, ask why they believe it.

• Instead of proving someone wrong, try to understand their reasoning.

• Recognize that everyone (including you) has blind spots.

By applying empathy, we move away from the arrogance of “I know best” to the humility of “Maybe there’s something I haven’t considered.”

Socrates never accepted ideas blindly—he questioned everything. Critical thinking does the same. Instead of assuming we’re right, we learn to ask:

• “What if I’m wrong?”

• “Where’s the evidence?”

• “Do I believe this because it’s true, or because I want it to be true?”

Thinking critically forces us to slow down, evaluate our beliefs, and (most importantly) admit when we don’t know something. Socrates would be proud.

A Little Ignorance Is Healthy

At the end of the day, admitting we don’t know everything isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. The more we embrace our ignorance, the more we open ourselves to learning, growing, and actually becoming smarter.

So, next time you feel a little too sure about something, take a Socratic step back. Ask more questions. Stay curious. And most importantly—be more like Socrates, not the loudest person in the room.