Are you incompetent?

A Provocative Look in the Mirror

Let’s face it: incompetence is everywhere. It’s the wrong order at your favorite coffee shop, the endless email threads that never solve anything, the tech support call that leaves you more confused than before, and the daily headlines about avoidable disasters. But what if incompetence isn’t just “out there”? What if it’s in all of us-lurking in our routines, our workplaces, and even our best intentions?

We Are All Guilty

It’s easy to point fingers at the “other guy”-the slow cashier, the clueless boss, the politician who can’t string together a coherent sentence. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: incompetence is a human condition. Every time we rush through a task without understanding it, every time we nod along in a meeting without asking questions, every time we choose convenience over quality, we’re contributing to the problem. We’ve normalized “good enough” and “that’ll do,” forgetting that every shortcut, every overlooked detail, and every half-hearted effort adds up.

The Cost of “Good Enough”

We live in a world that rewards speed and multitasking. But at what cost? Airplanes have crashed, patients have died, and fortunes have been lost-not because of malice, but because of small, compounding errors. When did “approximately correct” become acceptable for medication dosages? When did “mostly working” code become the standard for software that handles our personal data? When did we stop demanding excellence from ourselves and those around us?

The Silent Epidemic

Here’s the real danger: incompetence is often invisible. It hides behind jargon, bureaucracy, and groupthink. It’s the email that goes unanswered, the safety check skipped, the assumption that “someone else will handle it.” We don’t talk about it because we’re afraid of looking foolish, or because we’re too busy, or because we don’t want to rock the boat. But every time we stay silent, we allow incompetence to grow roots.

Wake Up and Take Ownership

So, how are we incompetent? By accepting mediocrity. By refusing to ask questions. By failing to learn from our mistakes. By prioritizing comfort over courage. The antidote isn’t perfection-it’s awareness, humility, and a relentless commitment to improvement. It’s about holding ourselves and others accountable, even when it’s uncomfortable.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “That’s not me”-think again. Incompetence isn’t a character flaw; it’s a blind spot. The only way to fix it is to see it, own it, and do something about it. Let’s stop waiting for someone else to raise the bar. Let’s be the ones who demand better-starting with ourselves.

Are you brave enough to ask yourself: How am I incompetent? And what will I do about it today?