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What is ultracrepidarianism? Thanks for asking!

An ultracrepidarian is someone who gives their opinion on just about everything, including subjects which are beyond their sphere of knowledge. A simpler label would be to call someone a know-it-all. It’s linked to a form of cognitive bias known in the field of psychology as the Dunning-Kruger effect. People overestimate their ability at a task, due to their inability to objectively evaluate their own competence. 

Where "ultracrepidarianism" is from?

It’s believed the phrase originates from the 4th century BC, and famous Greek artist Apelles. He used to display his paintings in public and stand out of sight in order to eavesdrop on people’s comments. Upon viewing one of Apelles’ works, a shoemaker mentioned that the sole of a sandal was painted incorrectly. Apelles took the painting away and corrected it, based on the shoemaker’s observation. When he put the painting back on display, the shoemaker took pride and criticised other details of the artwork. Apelles then apparently jumped out from his hiding place and used the Latin phrase "sutor, ne ultra crepidam”.

What does it mean? And why do I feel like I’m seeing a lot of ultracrepidarianism on TV and social media at the moment? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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