Curse of Knowledge
Experts have trouble remembering what it was like being a beginner.
The curse of knowledge is a documented cognitive bias that makes it hard for experts to communicate with beginners. It stems from the fact that those with experience don't remember what it's like to have no experience. This leads experts to make several errors when instructing beginners:
- Assuming the beginner has background knowledge that they don't have
- Getting frustrated when the beginner is struggling.
All of this is to say:
A black belt will not necessarily be your best teacher.
Or more generally:
More experience does not necessarily make someone a better teacher.
So your best teacher will not necessarily be your most experienced teacher. Your best teacher will be the one who can put themselves in your shoes and empathize with your lack of knowledge.
On the podcast:
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