Improve your nonsense detection mechanism with general knowledge
Summary
- Having a good general knowledge foundation makes it easier to detect nonsense
Details
- Overspecialization leads to not being able to detect nonsense reliably
References
Quotes
Overspecialization leads to poor nonsense detection. The more narrow our own focus is, the harder it can be to know if someone else is being honest or even knows what they’re talking about. Overspecialization can also lead people to put up barriers to protect their specialization, such as by requiring expensive licenses to practice the skill. Indeed, specialists may be incentivized to exaggerate how distinct their knowledge is in order to protect their advantage.