Curse of Knowledge: How to Be an Approachable Genius

It took “great talent or skill to conceal one’s talent or skill,” the French moralist François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld once noted. As soon as we’ve reached a certain level of mastery, say in playing chess, it’s hard to act as if we knew little about the game of kings. That’s partly because it’s difficult to imagine what it was like when we were still steeped in ignorance. Even if that was just five minutes ago. Known as the Curse of Knowledge, this phenomenon speaks to the tragic burden mastery can be.

What Is the Curse of Knowledge?

The Curse of Knowledge is a cognitive bias that arises from having a greater understanding of a particular topic. It’s a phenomenon whereby those who possess more knowledge about a given subject find it difficult to relate to those with less familiarity. This can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and even conflict.

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