Made to Stick · Chip & Dan Heath

The curse of knowledge examples

Curated by · reviewed 2026-06-01

The curse of knowledge is how, once you know something, you can't imagine not knowing it — so you explain as if your audience already shares your knowledge. Examples:

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5 examples of the curse of knowledge

  1. The expert who loses you

    A specialist buries you in jargon, forgetting you don't share the basics.

  2. Tapping a song

    Tappers are sure listeners will recognise the tune; they almost never do — the melody is only in the tapper's head.

  3. Bad instructions

    The writer skips the 'obvious' step that beginners actually get stuck on.

  4. Teaching your own skill

    Driving, reading, your job — once fluent, you can't recall how hard it was to learn.

  5. Onboarding a newcomer

    You assume context they don't have, and they're quietly lost without saying so.

How to spot it in yourself

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