I remember reading an interview with either Dunning or Kruger at one point. They were really disappointed that everyone had used their research to point fingers at others.
In actual fact, the authors had hoped the real value of their research would be in getting people to question themselves.
I.e. Instead of saying: "look at that dumb person, he doesn't know he's dumb."
The authors hoped people would say: "what if I'm not as smart as I think I am?"
I guess the "other people are dumb" meme is so much more comforting, though.
It's like the old trope, where someone confides in a friend that they are worried that they are going crazy, and the friend tells them not to worry. People who are crazy don't bother to ask if they're crazy.
Self inquiry is, IMO, a cornerstone of self regulation. If you're asking questions you're already well on your way. If you're not you won't notice that self-help articles even apply to you. (In fact I think of most self-help advice is, at best, milestones that you can't recognize until you've gone past them. It can tell you how far you've gone and when you've made a wrong turn, but it doesn't actively help you get where you're going. It's all up to you).
In actual fact, the authors had hoped the real value of their research would be in getting people to question themselves.
I.e. Instead of saying: "look at that dumb person, he doesn't know he's dumb."
The authors hoped people would say: "what if I'm not as smart as I think I am?"
I guess the "other people are dumb" meme is so much more comforting, though.