Most of us think that we are better than the average person. Research shows that 90% of drivers think that they are above average drivers. Yet 90% of motor vehicle accidents are caused by human error.
If I asked you how good you are at your job, you will probably say you are really good at it, above average. I am sure the person you think is below average will also rate himself as above average. In other words the average person thinks that he is better than the average person.
But the truth is, there are only a few exceptional people in the world. Most of us are just like everyone else. Forget what your friends, relatives and motivational speakers tell you. We are all average. We think we are God’s gift to the world. We are not.
This is a cognitive bias we all have. The I am above-average syndrome. It cuts across many domains; we think we are better spouses, better parents, kinder, funnier and even “holier” than the average person. We even belief our children are above average.
The other day I saw the new safaricom logo and I was disappointed. I am not a graphic designer but I can do a better job than the guy who designed the logo.
Thinking that we are better than average is a way of signaling our position in the social hierarchy. My statement above about the safaricom logo is a way of me saying that I have a fine taste for logos. But the truth is, I cannot draw a line using photoshop even if my life depended on it. My incompetence in making logos does not stop me from criticizing the graphic designer. It is easy to criticize, easy to say that we can do a better job.
The problem with overestimating ourselves is that it leads us to overestimate how successful we will be. Peter considered himself a better than the average disciple only for him to deny Jesus three times when the dung hit the fan. Many of us will be surprised when we meet in hell with our pastors and prayer warriors.
Maybe we should start from the point of view that we are not as good as we think we are. That we are really not that special or gifted. That we are average, probably below average.
Especially in domains that cannot be measured by the quality assurance department. When we are doing work that is not in a manual or in standard operating procedures. When doing work that may not work.
We are quick to over-promise but often under-deliver. Ask anyone who has been married for a couple of years. Like politicians, we do very well in interviews but our actual performance is underwhelming!
Fabio