I posed the question in this context to Claude.ai:
The mask/chain-link fence analogy reveals several layers of misunderstanding:
- Category error: Viruses primarily travel via respiratory droplets (not as individual virions floating freely), while mosquitoes are self-propelled insects.
- Scale confusion: The analogy fails to account for the vast difference in size between virus-containing droplets (microns) and mosquitoes (millimeters).
- Mechanism misunderstanding: Masks work by impeding the momentum of droplets, not by absolute filtration alone.
- Probability blindness: They miss that reducing transmission probability (even partially) significantly impacts epidemic spread mathematics.
Other relevant concepts include:
- Epistemic trespassing: When someone confidently makes claims outside their area of expertise
- Armchair epidemiology: Non-experts making authoritative statements about disease transmission
- False equivalence: Drawing an inappropriate parallel between fundamentally different scenarios
As for a new term, perhaps "contagious incompetence" - when someone not only displays their misunderstanding publicly but spreads it to others who lack the critical thinking skills to evaluate it properly, creating a cognitive pandemic of sorts.
Or more simply: "expertise illusion" - the confident assertion of demonstrably incorrect information while simultaneously believing one is exposing others' ignorance.
I asked a follow-on question to Poe:
How can we extend or substitute the expression "Epistemic Trespassing" for the situation where the person expressing the point of view is both spectacularly wrong and also expressing contempt toward those much more competent?
ChatGPT had suggestions:
Terminology for Confidently Erroneous Assertions
The English language lacks a precise term encapsulating the combination of confident ignorance and contempt for expertise. However, several terms from other languages and scholarly discourse may capture aspects of this phenomenon:
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Dunning–Kruger Effect: A cognitive bias wherein individuals with low ability overestimate their competence, often failing to recognize their deficiencies.
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Epistemic Trespassing: As defined by philosopher Nathan Ballantyne, this occurs when individuals make authoritative claims outside their domain of expertise, potentially misleading others.
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Überheblichkeit (German): Translates to "arrogance" or "presumption," describing an overestimation of one's abilities or knowledge.
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Beata ignoranza (Italian): Literally "blessed ignorance," this phrase captures the notion of being blissfully unaware of one's lack of knowledge.
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Hubris (Greek origin): Denotes excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to one's downfall. Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1
While no single term perfectly encapsulates the specific combination of confident ignorance and disdain for expertise, these terms collectively highlight various facets of the phenomenon. While English lacks a precise term, concepts from other languages and psychological theories can help articulate the nuances of confidently held misinformation.