7 things techies think they understand but really don't

Google
 

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Nov 14, 2020 15 Comments

Frankly, many software engineers and other "educated" folks on Blind are delusional about their grasp of the following.

1. Basic statistics: definitions of bias and skewness, anecdotes vs. causation, inference and extrapolation, survey methodology and flaws

2. Politics: office relations, national politics, international diplomacy and trade

3. Economics and financial markets: market efficiency, long-term risk vs. reward, transaction costs, reasons for differences in compensation

4. Social status: broader meaning of socioeconomic class, distinction between middle and upper class society

5. Psychology: learning psychology, interpersonal attraction and relationships, difference between social comfort vs. well-being vs. life satisfaction

6. Culture: diverse values, beliefs, and lifestyles of people within various classes (ethnicity, gender, religion, etc.)

7. Personal and public health: diet and exercise, meditation and mindfulness, COVID-19 (effectiveness of different types of masks, long-term risks, containment outside the U.S.)

How many of these can you answer at a level equivalent to having a bachelor's degree in the relevant field, and how often do people spew their personal opinions as "facts" (as if they are citing expert consensus from peer-reviewed scientific journals)? It is astonishing how much ignorance fuels exaggerated self-confidence. You may criticize Wikipedia, but even that can often provide much more accurate information than you will receive by asking such questions on Team Blind.

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TOP 15 Comments
  • Amazon
    irunknee

    Go to company page Amazon

    irunknee
    Yes no one can claim a Bachelors level of understanding for more than 1-2 of these. I agree with you many software engineers have abundant hubris where they are way out of their relevant claiming facts on politics, economics, and others domains they don’t understand.
    Nov 14, 2020 1
    • Amazon
      Queerty

      Go to company page Amazon

      Queerty
      I literally have a BA liberal arts degree in Liberal Arts so in a sense I have a bachelors degree for all areas of studies lol but I won’t ever claim to be an expert in anything
      Nov 14, 2020
  • Yelp
    overmind

    Go to company page Yelp

    overmind
    They good at one thing n high demand so they think they are smart but are really ditch digger
    Nov 14, 2020 1
  • PayPal
    aTBO44

    Go to company page PayPal

    aTBO44
    πŸ™πŸΌπŸ™πŸΌπŸ™πŸΌ

    Preach
    Nov 14, 2020 0
  • Cisco
    LegoBlocks

    Go to company page Cisco

    LegoBlocks
    Even the president doesn't have good grasp of any of these...so what's ur point?
    Nov 14, 2020 1
    • Google
       

      Go to company page Google

       
      OP
      The president doesn't need to be an expert in everything. Some have a lifelong habit of reading extensively though.

      There's a reason they have advisors with PhDs and industry leadership. The point is to listen to people with specialized experience, not follow herds of pseudointellectuals or conspiracy theorists, nor to become one of them.
      Nov 14, 2020
  • Uber
    uberific

    Go to company page Uber

    uberific
    Yes, but what's your point?
    Nov 14, 2020 1
    • Google
       

      Go to company page Google

       
      OP
      Simple tl;dr
      1. Educate oneself with credible sources
      2. Talk on what you are knowledgeable about, rather than what you don't know
      3. Be humble and open-minded, focus on thinking critically before judging others

      Sounds like it shouldn't be hard to do, but it's surprising how many fail at it
      Nov 14, 2020