The 'Curse of Knowledge' happens when our message or orders gets transmitted, received but misinterpreted, and acted upon inappropriately. We tell someone to go 'left' from our perspective, meaning 'right' from theirs. We say, "No" and they hear, "Go."
In other words, the intent gets miscommunicated with catastrophic results. All of us have been involved in catastrophic losses where miscommunication or mental mistakes led to losses.
A military example from ChatGPT:
The Crimean War Connection
The Crimean War (1853–1856) is often used as a historical case study for the curse of knowledge, particularly in the context of military leadership and medical care:
British Officers and Tactical Blindness
Many British military leaders during the Crimean War were aristocrats who had been trained in outdated tactics from previous wars. They assumed their subordinates understood complex and unspoken strategic conventions. Orders were often vague, reflecting the leaders’ belief that everyone saw the battlefield as they did.
This reflects the curse of knowledge: Raglan knew what he meant, but couldn’t imagine how unclear his instructions were to others who didn’t have his vantage point.
What about in sports? In a high school game, the defender was told the ballhandler was lefthanded, to force him right. That mistake played right into his hands. Sometimes teams understand they are to play one defense when the coach meant another.
Rickey Henderson was a phenomenal baserunner, even as a minor leaguer. But he wanted signals. So third base coach Tom Trebelhorn gave him signals, followed by the universal 'take off' (cancel) sign. Rickey steals second. Trebelhorn repeats. Rickey steals again. The coach says, "Rickey, you want signals and now you ignore them." "Coach, you gave the me the 'take off' sign so I took off."
In the National Title game, Chris Webber famously called a timeout that Michigan didn't have, thinking the bench signaled for one. That resulted in a technical foul, shots, loss of possession and a loss. The information was asymmetric.
More AI input:
Once you know a play, a concept, or a read, it’s hard to remember what it’s like not to know it. That gap in perspective causes problems:
Coaches give instructions that seem clear to them but leave players confused.
Veteran players assume teammates “should’ve known” to cut, screen, or rotate.
Everyone gets frustrated, but the real issue is an unspoken assumption—not a lack of effort or intelligence.
🏀 Real or Potential Bad Outcomes
1. Wasted Possessions
A point guard calls a play but mumbles part of the terminology or assumes everyone knows the signal. The wing doesn't make the expected backdoor cut. Turnover. The playcaller might say, “We went over this!”—but going over it once doesn’t mean it landed.
Outcome: Miscommunication → Turnover → Lost scoring opportunity.
2. Defensive Breakdowns
One player expects a switch; the other stays with their man. Wide-open layup. The curse strikes when defenders assume their teammates recognize the coverage call or the read.
Outcome: Confusion → Easy basket → Deflated team energy.
3. Late-Game Meltdowns
In pressure moments, teams revert to habits. If situational plays aren’t over-communicated in practice—and assumed knowledge fills the gaps—chaos ensues.
Example: A player runs out the clock thinking the team is ahead, when it’s actually tied. Everyone thought everyone else knew the score.
🧩 Preventing It
Over-communication is clarity.
Coaches must teach like nobody knows—even if it means repeating.
Players must check for shared understanding, not just assume it.
Teams thrive when questions are safe and encouraged.
“Assume nothing. Say everything.”
💡 Final Thought
In tight games, it’s not always the talent gap that shows—it’s the communication gap. The Curse of Knowledge hides in plain sight, and it punishes those who assume understanding rather than building it.
- Get feedback. What is your job?
- Avoid jargon.
- Practice close and late situations.
