The best way to detect an imbecile is to check yourself first. The problem is you can’t.

By definition, an imbecile is someone that makes mistakes, without realizing that they’re doing it. So, how can they know whether they’re an imbecile or not?

Take the case of a doctor:

To come up with the right diagnosis, a good doctor uses all of his or her education and experience and applies what is relevant to all of the facts the patient before them is presenting them with. Now, the imbecilic doctor thinks that he’s doing exactly that and of course, without even knowing it comes up with the wrong diagnoses.

The imbecilic doctor will not put the fact that their patient died down to their wrong diagnoses, but to a series of circumstances that led to that unfortunate outcome.  I am told that there are many imbecilic doctors on the planet.

Certainly there are also many imbecilic car drivers, lawyers, change managers, project managers, chefs and even hairdressers. Every profession and every walk of life has their fair share of imbeciles.  Some, luckily, are easier to detect then others.

So I’ve come up with a couple of questions to help possibly detect them:

1) How long ago did you learn something completely new about your profession?

            a. Within the last 2 days

            b. Within the last 2 weeks

            c. You can’t remember, it was too long ago

2) How good are you at your profession?

            a. Absolutely brilliant
           
            b. Good enough

            c. Could be better

None of us like to feel that we are imbeciles or even look imbecilic. But the sad fact to the matter is, we all are to a certain extent, that’s just part of life.  

The question is, could our inability to know our own limitations cause any harm, or does it just remain a mild embarrassment from time to time?

Welcome to the club of the imbeciles!

Enjoy your week,

Harley