FEEL BELITTLED BY THE EXPERTS? Why Experts Forget what Beginners Don't Know

Have you ever explained something that seemed obvious to you — only to realise the other person had no idea what you meant?

In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Curse of Knowledge — the cognitive bias that makes it difficult to imagine what it’s like not to know something we already understand. We look at how knowledge can shape the way we communicate, explain ideas, and interpret other people’s responses.

But once we know something, can we ever truly see it from someone else’s perspective? Discover how the Curse of Knowledge can create misunderstandings, why expertise doesn’t always make communication easier, and how awareness of this bias can help us connect more clearly.

Studies and links:

The Rocky Road from Actions to Intentions | Elizabeth Newton https://gwern.net/doc/psychology/cognitive-bias/illusion-of-depth/1990-newton.pdf

Curse of Knowledge | The Decision Lab https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/management/curse-of-knowledge