Know more
Depth and illusion: knowing less than we think
Daniel Goleman describes a trap called the illusion of explanatory depth. We feel confident that we understand a complex system. Yet when asked to explain it step by step, we discover that our knowledge is shallow. The gap between depth and illusion is often much wider than we expect.
Researchers Leonid Rozenblit and Frank Keil tested this in a classic study. They asked people how well they understood everyday objects, like zippers or toilets. Ratings were high. Then participants had to write detailed explanations. Afterwards, their confidence dropped sharply. In other words, familiarity had been mistaken for understanding.
Testing depth and illusion in your own work
This matters in business and policy. Managers approve projects they cannot really explain. Voters hold strong opinions on topics they know only from headlines. A practical antidote is the explanation test. Before you defend an idea, try to explain how it works in detail, as if teaching a beginner.
The test feels humbling, but it is useful. For example, a team discussing a new pricing model may realise nobody understands how discounts affect margin. That discovery is valuable early, before money is spent. Moreover, people who discover their own gaps tend to become more open in discussions.
Finally, both can coexist in all of us. Nobody understands everything they use. That is fine and normal. The danger lies only in pretending. So keep curiosity alive, ask how things actually work and enjoy the process of turning an illusion into real depth.
In practice, a simple question works wonders in meetings: can you walk me through how that works? Asked kindly, it invites clarity rather than embarrassment. Over time, teams that ask it regularly make fewer expensive mistakes.
