gwillen: (Default)
gwillen ([personal profile] gwillen) wrote2009-09-28 02:02 am

(no subject)

Is there a name for the fallacy of assuming, when one is in the dark, that everyone else actually knows what's going on? I don't mean this in a conspiracy sort of way; just a sort of implicit assumption that, when in doubt, other people have more complete knowledge than oneself.

As an example of this, consider real-time strategy games, i.e. Starcraft. I always inordinately fear what's going on in the part of the map that I can't see; obviously my opponent is building up a massive army and preparing to destroy me with it. (Note that this is typically not true.) But I fail to properly take account, in my own strategy, of the fact that my opponent cannot, in fact, see what I'm up to either, and may well fear that unknown; and that I should be using this to my advantage.

Does everyone do this? Is there a name for it?

[identity profile] roseandsigil.livejournal.com 2009-09-29 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Actually, one of the things that is cool about grad school is reaching the point where you can say "I have this question and it is not obvious", even if no one has asked it yet.

[identity profile] gwillen.livejournal.com 2009-09-29 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Honestly, I've reached the point where I'm almost comfortable with the idea that, if I have a question, it's at least non-obvious enough that it's reasonable for me to ask it. Of course, I do make a point of asking someone who agrees with that perspective. ;-)