The Curse of Knowledge: Lost in Translation
The “curse of knowledge” is when I assume you also know (and care about) what heteroscedasticity is… It’s the frustrating feeling that comes with presenting a graph you spent 80 hours tinkering with, it’s five colors, 3 font sizes and has a dual axis, and they don’t get it. Once you learn something, it can be difficult to imagine what it’s like to NOT have that knowledge. I was taking a dance class, and someone was traveling all around the room- clearly leaving her imaginary dance space bubble, and I thought “Why doesn’t she know?” Turns out, it was her first class. Everyone has a first class, we just forget.
Joey trying to learn French on friends… we all know he isn’t saying real French words, but he doesn’t and it’s hilarious.
It’s not funny when communication is critical. So, what can we do about it?
I’m not telling you to stop learning, and I’m not telling you you’re doomed. There are steps you can take to prevent this:
Self-Awareness. Be realistic with yourself. Let yourself get down in the weeds and learn, but take a step back or take a look with fresh eyes and attempt to look at it from someone else’s perspective. Ask yourself: Do I find myself in these frustrating positions often? That brings me to…
Seek the advice of others. If you can’t find another perspective within yourself, ask for one. Asking questions with the intention of listening and adjusting may take you a little extra time but it will be worth it in the long run.
KISS. Keep it simple, smarty-pants. Once you’ve made that complex thing that you’re so proud of, start simplifying. Like getting dressed in the morning, remove an accessory before you leave the house.
When teaching: use examples, visual aids, and break it into pieces. Then break it into smaller pieces, then take off another accessory.
Try un-learning something. If you’re really stuck, pretend you’re in kindergarten and go back to the beginning- maybe you’ll see it from another perspective this time or learn something new. Imagine if we all learned how to drive again after 25 years… maybe Atlanta wouldn’t have a transportation problem.
