As you well know one of the keys to my success is a clear and consistent understanding of my own limitations.
If you prefer the audio version, try Spotify:
Recently, I started learning Rust, a completely new programming language for me. How did I start? Let me tell you - I opened a search engine and found the official documentation, which outlines a few learning paths. Documentation is nice and easy to read, but whenever I'm learning something, I also try to understand what is happening behind the scenes. Especially when I add a non-alpha-numeric character, I am interested in discovering what happens. And how do I try to find out things? - By breaking the code, introduce errors and try to understand why they are incorrect.
In the programming space, I prefer using a debugger to try and understand when and how anything changes. So, I started creating my setup for the debugger, but this time, I'm not sure why I searched on the web instead of the official documentation. And lo and behold, a list of websites popped up with the theme of "Learn this in X hours" or "The only setup you need to become and expert in ...". So my mind instantly jumped to a mental model called the circle of competence. Let me explain.
So there is a circle?
The model is simple: You operate with an advantage inside your area of expertise (or competence), and you should be aware when that area ends. This model focuses not on the size (or area) of your competence but on the position you are in relation to it. Visually, you can think of two circles, a smaller one included in a bigger one. Some important notes to keep about the interactions here:
- You have an advantage if you are inside the perimeter.
- Your advantage reduces as you reach the limit of the perimeter (or the limit of your knowledge).
- When you cross your perimeter, the advantage is no longer present and transfers to other people.
- There is a circle for any problem that you need to solve.
Why does this matter? Because this is a reminder that confidence should drop at the same speed as competence. But does this actually happen to us?
I have found that frequently, my first instinct is to consider that since I'm good at something, I should also be good at subjects adjacent to it. For example, if I can make great french fries, I should know how to cook an egg properly. No, I can make a passable egg using the same methods as the potatoes, and that's it. But if I apply the circle, I would understand that I might be at an edge and need to decide: learn how to do it properly and position myself in the middle or keep making passable eggs. Both decisions are okay; the important part is that I know where I am.
Some related ideas to keep you thinking about this:
- You can only grow your circle sometimes to have an advantage. I've tried learning many hobbies and understanding many things, but now I know how much else is unknown.
- It would be best to try to have an advantage for important decisions or actions you frequently make. You can grow your competence or hire somebody to do the work for you.
- Be aware that others have different competencies. If you compete with them, understand when you are at a disadvantage, and if you are working together, what advantage do they bring to the table?
- It is easy to create an adequate circle at a point in time. After some time, it gets smaller, and you are competent in fewer things than you were initially. It is normal, and again, the critical part is that you are aware of your position.
- Principles are more transferrable than knowledge. Principles also resist the test of time more.
And coming back, how do we make this a tool we can use? We need to understand when we are in the circle, what to do when we are not in, and how to build and maintain one.
