Curse of Knowledge
Once people know something, it can be difficult to imagine what it is like not to know it.
An expert explains a process in a few familiar terms and is surprised when a newcomer cannot follow the steps.
A developer tells a new colleague to ‘rebase and resolve the conflict’ without explaining the repository workflow. A short demonstration and glossary can surface assumptions while preserving the precise terms.
The curse of knowledge describes difficulty setting aside information one already has when trying to imagine another person's perspective.
Expertise makes some steps feel obvious because the learner has built connections over time. Those connections may be invisible to someone encountering the topic for the first time.
This can lead to unexplained jargon, missing steps, or assumptions about what an audience already understands.
The difficulty is not proof that an expert is arrogant or unwilling to help. It can happen despite good intentions.
A teacher explains a difficult idea using several concepts the class has not learned yet. Asking which step first became unclear can reveal the missing bridge without labeling students as inattentive.
Audience members also vary in prior knowledge, language, access needs, and context. One explanation will not fit everyone equally.
A useful response is to make assumptions explicit and check understanding without making someone feel tested or blamed.
Writers can define unfamiliar terms, show a concrete example, and ask a beginner to identify where the explanation stops making sense.
Feedback from someone outside the topic can reveal gaps that expertise alone may hide.
Clear communication does not require removing complexity; it requires building a path into it.
Psychological perspective
Knowledge changes what is readily accessible to a speaker, making it harder to reconstruct a novice's starting point. The gap is about perspective-taking under unequal information.
The curse of knowledge is a communication challenge, not a diagnosis or a judgment of character. Feedback and audience checks can help reveal assumptions.
Thinking clearly
State what background knowledge you are assuming, and define terms that may be unfamiliar.
Use a concrete example and invite questions about the first unclear step.
Ask a reader or listener with a different level of experience to review the explanation before relying on it.
Clear communication does not require removing complexity; it requires building a path into it.
What part of your explanation feels obvious to you but might be a new step for someone else?