The Curse of Knowledge

Also called the curse of expertise, I like to think of it as a problem, that has solutions, as opposed to a curse.Once we know something it is very difficult for us to imagine not knowing it, or to take the position or perspective of someone who doesn’t know it. So, we just assume that others know what we know, how could they possibly not know that? We are all guilty at least some of the time of falling into this trap.

A simplistic example is the game of charades; you act out the perfect mime for James Bond, and all you see on the faces of your friends and family are blank stares. ‘What is wrong with them’. Then when you become the watcher you are no better than the others. The audience witnesses your mime and acting without any additional information. You, on the other hand, know who you are, you have the images and song in your head, you are James Bond. It is so obvious, so simple, why don’t they get it?

We all have a responsibility to ensure we are understood; stop trying to impress and start communicating; it makes life easier for all involved and helps achieve better outcomes. simplistic example is the game of charades; you act out the perfect mime for James Bond, and all you see on the faces of your friends and family are blank stares. ‘What is wrong with them’. Then when you become the watcher you are no better than the others. The audience witnesses your mime and acting without any additional information. You, on the other hand, know who you are, you have the images and song in your head, you are James Bond. It is so obvious, so simple, why don’t they get it?

So how does this impact our business communications?

We like people to think we are smart and knowledgeable, love to wow others with a detailed understanding of a topic, and look ‘in the know’ with our buzzwords or acronyms. On the flip side, people don’t want to feel they are lacking in knowledge or admit to not understanding something they are made to feel that they should understand.

They can speak English; ‘how can they possibly not understand my message’, ‘They must see how smart and knowledgeable I am’, and ‘They must be impressed by me’. Whilst the opposite is usually true.

We all have a responsibility to ensure we are understood; stop trying to impress and start communicating; it makes life easier for all involved and helps achieve better outcomes.