The Iron Law of Misunderstanding
When ideas are explained briefly, they often sound absurd or wrong because important nuances are omitted. This leads people to dismiss valid concepts based on simplistic versions.
THE IDEA
1. We misunderstand each other’s views
While on a trip to Cairo, blogger Scott Alexander got into a pleasant conversation with a Muslim girl in a café. When she mentioned something about crazy people who believe in evolution, Alexander admitted that he was one of those “crazy people.”
The girl was shocked. She replied, “But . . . monkeys don’t change into humans. What on Earth makes you think monkeys can change into humans?” Alexander tried to explain that the change from ape to human was a very gradual one, which occurred over many generations, and he recommended some books that might do a better job explaining the process than he could. But it was clear that she was still not buying it.
If you’re already familiar with the theory of evolution, it’s obvious to you that the girl in the café was misunderstanding it. But how sure are you that you understood the ideas you dismissed as absurd? Even correct ideas often sound wrong when you first hear them. The thirty-second version of an explanation is inevitably simplistic, leaving out important clarifications and nuance. There’s background context you’re missing, words being used in different ways than you’re used to, and more.
When to use it
Explaining a scientific theory to a non-expert who only has a few minutes to listen.
Debating a political or social issue in an online forum where comments are limited in length.
Teaching a new concept in a classroom where students might form initial misconceptions from a short overview.
Presenting a business strategy to stakeholders who have limited time for a full explanation.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Cairo Café Misunderstanding
In the café anecdote, Scott Alexander meets a girl who dismisses evolution because she objects that monkeys do not change into humans. He tries to explain gradual change over generations. Galef uses the exchange to ask whether we sometimes reject ideas we have misunderstood.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a time you dismissed an idea because it sounded ridiculous on first hearing. Could you have misunderstood a simplified version?
When someone presents a complex idea briefly, what steps can you take to ensure you understand the full nuance before rejecting it?
How might this principle affect how you explain your own ideas to others? What can you do to avoid being misunderstood?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Scout Mindset (Julia Galef)