The ubiquity of technology has made it easy to assume that certain things are universal.
Our assumptions create blind spots.
For example, here’s a digestible statistic: more than 64% of the world is now online.
Here’s the blind spot: in the world’s poorest communities, people are more likely to have a cell phone than access to a toilet.
Ubiquity is powerful but underrated.
Another type of blind spot is exposure bias, also known as the frequency effect.
This happens when we see something so often that we stop seeing it.
For example, you may not even notice the art hanging in your home or the fire exits in your office because you see them so often.
Another type of blind spot is the fallacy of expertise.
When you’ve spent a really long time getting good at something, it can be easy to forget which parts were hard to grasp when you were a beginner.
That’s why many experts are terrible teachers.
What are your blind spots?
If that question is tough, start by examining your assumptions.
Here’s a three-step checklist:
- Why do I believe what I believe?
- What are the underlying assumptions that underpin this belief?
- What variables would need to change for me to update my belief?
