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I've been surprised how often a software engineer will describe something technical and arcane, and everyone in the room assumes it must be comprehensible to ev

by Dove 16y ago

I've been surprised how often a software engineer will describe something technical and arcane, and everyone in the room assumes it must be comprehensible to everyone else. After a few such incidents, I decided it was my responsibility to ask questions until I understood what was being described to my satisfaction, and to hell with trying to pretend I'm smarter than I am. The result was surprising: I appeared smarter. When you say, "Excuse me, I don't understand this," and everyone else is thinking that, too, and especially if it turns out to be a bad presentation or a fundamentally incoherent concept . . . well, you look perceptive. And if you make sure you understand things? You look pretty darn smart later on.

jacques_chester 16y ago
I've had this exact experience in law, accounting and psychology classes.
JoachimSchipper 16y ago
In general, students who ask "what about X?" have mostly understood the lecture up to X.
demallien 16y ago
Yes, you look smarter because it's as if you're saying "Hey, I'm good at this stuff, and I still don't understand it, so there is something that is not obvious here". Most people don't ask questions because they aren't confident enough in their own capabilities. They feel that the thing they don't understand should have been obvious, and don't want to admit thet they don't know. It's another example of the Imposter Syndrome... On the other hand, I have often noticed that once one person in a group starts asking questions, it opens the flood gates and everyone else starts to get involved. I have a theory that once one person asks a question, it signals everyone else in the group about the skill level of at least one other person in the group, and if they can understand the question and the answer, they now feel that they are at the same level as everyone else - they no longer feel like an imposter.
ZoFreX 16y ago
And by asking those questions you don't only appear smarter, you become smarter.
JonnieCache 16y ago
>The result was surprising: I appeared smarter. When you say, "Excuse me, I don't understand this," and everyone else is thinking that, too, and especially if it turns out to be a bad presentation or a fundamentally incoherent concept . . . well, you look perceptive. This is massively massively important point. It goes beyond looking perceptive, it actually makes you look supremely self confident and powerful within a group. Whether the point is incoherent or not doesn't really matter, when you ask the question, suddenly you're the only one in the room thats not afraid of the conversation, and everyone instantly knows it.

by Dove 16y ago

jacques_chester 16y ago

I've had this exact experience in law, accounting and psychology classes.

JoachimSchipper 16y ago

In general, students who ask "what about X?" have mostly understood the lecture up to X.

demallien 16y ago

Yes, you look smarter because it's as if you're saying "Hey, I'm good at this stuff, and I still don't understand it, so there is something that is not obvious here". Most people don't ask questions because they aren't confident enough in their own capabilities. They feel that the thing they don't understand should have been obvious, and don't want to admit thet they don't know. It's another example of the Imposter Syndrome... On the other hand, I have often noticed that once one person in a group starts asking questions, it opens the flood gates and everyone else starts to get involved. I have a theory that once one person asks a question, it signals everyone else in the group about the skill level of at least one other person in the group, and if they can understand the question and the answer, they now feel that they are at the same level as everyone else - they no longer feel like an imposter.

ZoFreX 16y ago

And by asking those questions you don't only appear smarter, you become smarter.

JonnieCache 16y ago

>The result was surprising: I appeared smarter. When you say, "Excuse me, I don't understand this," and everyone else is thinking that, too, and especially if it turns out to be a bad presentation or a fundamentally incoherent concept . . . well, you look perceptive. This is massively massively important point. It goes beyond looking perceptive, it actually makes you look supremely self confident and powerful within a group. Whether the point is incoherent or not doesn't really matter, when you ask the question, suddenly you're the only one in the room thats not afraid of the conversation, and everyone instantly knows it.