Explanatory Depth

How far down does your understanding reach? (A brief introduction.)

Jul 26, 2022

Do you know how your toilet flushes? Or how gear switching on a bike works? What about the lock on your door? Can you explain how your key unlocks it?

I nod my head in response to these things. I think I've got it. But if you were to press me, I couldn't give you comprehensive answers. I'm most confident about explaining the key and lock. That one I know. And I think I'd be okay at explaining the gear switches on a bike. But could I tell you how a toilet flushes and refills? ...Not really. Water goes out, water comes in. Magic.

The illusion of explanatory depth is a phenomenon that we all experience. Essentially, I might think I have a deep understanding about how something works, but when I try to explain it, I realize that I've only got a few shallow, disconnected puddles. I'm not sure as to why our brain makes us feel like we've got the full picture when we don't... but it does.

At work the past couple of months, I've been researching information literacy and the polarized nature of American society. One study investigated the concept of explanatory depth and found that many individuals with extreme political views are unable to fully explain how their preferred policies would actually bring about the changes they promoted. When the insufficiency of their knowledge dawned upon them, they began to hold more moderate views.

(link to article)

Goodies

Love by Hania Rani ☞ I’m still sorting out which of her songs I like. But this one makes my list.

Birdland by Maynard Ferguson ☞ Discovered this musician by sorting through some vinyls at a thrift shop (looking for classroom decorations). The melody just makes me happy.