Why the more we know, the harder it is to change
— the weight of the past —
Experience is supposed to make us wiser, more adaptable, and better at understanding the world.
Yet, paradoxically, the more experience we accumulate — whether in life or in our profession — the harder it often becomes to change our perspectives.
It’s not because experienced people are inherently stubborn or resistant. It’s because experience becomes part of their identity.
Changing a deeply held belief isn’t just about updating information — it often means questioning years of decisions, efforts, and struggles. That can feel like breaking something inside ourselves.
But what if experience didn’t have to be a rigid structure? What if we could make it flexible, reshaping it instead of letting it weigh us down?
PART 1. Why old experience blocks new insights
We’ve all met people who say, “I’ve been in this field for 20 years; I know how it works.” But often, what worked 20 years ago no longer applies today.
Memory and cognitive inertia
Psychologist Frederic Bartlett (1932) studied how memory works and found that people don’t just store facts — they reshape them to fit their existing beliefs.
New information isn’t absorbed neutrally; the brain adjusts it to match pre-existing knowledge.
This cognitive inertia makes it harder to accept ideas that contradict our past experiences. Instead of integrating new knowledge, we subconsciously distort or reject it.
Loss aversion: why we fear changing our views
Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and psychologist Amos Tversky (1979) found that people fear loss more than they value gain.
Changing a perspective isn’t just about gaining new understanding — it often means letting go of old beliefs.
And since the brain perceives loss as more painful than gain is rewarding, we instinctively resist abandoning our past assumptions.
What to do about it?
Recognize that experience isn’t static — it’s a dynamic process. Ask yourself:"Am I holding onto this belief because it’s correct, or just because it’s mine?"
PART 2. When your experience is too complex for others
Sometimes, the problem isn’t that you’re resistant to change, but that others struggle to grasp the depth of your experience.
The Curse of Expertise
Psychologists Fischer & Kay (2011) describe the "curse of expertise," where the more knowledge a person gains, the harder it becomes for them to explain things simply.
Experts assume what’s obvious to them is obvious to others, which makes their insights less accessible.
This is why people with deep experience often struggle to convey their knowledge effectively.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
The Dunning-Kruger Effect (1999) describes how people with little knowledge overestimate their competence, while true experts often doubt themselves.
This creates a paradox: those with the most experience tend to stay quiet, while those with superficial knowledge speak the loudest.
This can be seen everywhere — from corporate meetings to online debates.
What to do about it?
Stop expecting others to “catch up” to your level of understanding. Instead, work on translating your expertise into stories, analogies, and simpler explanations. Your knowledge is valuable, but if no one can absorb it, it remains locked inside you.PART 3. Why new knowledge feels like a threat
Even when logic tells us that the world has changed, we still resist updating our thinking. That’s not just habit—it’s a neurological defense mechanism.
The amygdala and fear responses
Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux (1996) studied how the amygdala, the brain’s fear-processing center, reacts to new information. His research showed that when people encounter ideas that challenge their beliefs, their brains react as if they’re facing a physical threat.
This is why debates about deeply held beliefs can feel so intense: updating our worldview isn’t just an intellectual task — it triggers our emotional survival instincts.
Cognitive dissonance: why we rationalize instead of change
Social psychologist Leon Festinger (1957) introduced Cognitive Dissonance Theory, which explains that when new information contradicts our existing beliefs, we experience discomfort.
Instead of changing our beliefs, we often rationalize the contradiction away. For example, someone who has spent a lifetime believing that "success requires suffering" may struggle to accept that younger generations are finding smarter, easier ways to succeed. Their brain isn’t rejecting logic — it’s protecting their identity.
What to do about it? Recognize that resistance is natural. When a new idea makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself: "Is this idea truly dangerous, or does it just challenge my old beliefs?"
OUTRO. How to avoid getting trapped in your own experience
✔️ Stop treating experience as absolute truth.
Experience is not a law — it’s a tool. It can be adjusted, expanded, or even discarded when necessary.
✔️ Recognize that your worldview is shaped by your past.
Others may not understand your experiences, not because they lack intelligence, but because they haven’t walked the same path.
✔️ Stay curious.
No matter how much you know, always leave room for the possibility that you could be wrong.
✔️ Develop emotional flexibility.
Understand that letting go of old beliefs is not a weakness — it’s a sign of growth.
✔️ Learn to communicate complex ideas simply.
If no one understands your insights, they won’t have an impact.
Experience is a double-edged sword. It can be your greatest strength or your biggest limitation. The key is to see it as something fluid, not fixed.
True wisdom isn’t about accumulating knowledge — it’s about knowing how to reshape, question, and communicate it in a way that keeps you connected to the present moment.
References:
Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology. Cambridge University Press.
Dunning, D., & Kruger, J. (1999). Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford University Press.
Fischer, K. W., & Kay, A. C. (2011). Developmental Science and the Learning Sciences. Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences.
Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk. Econometrica.
LeDoux, J. (1996). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. Simon & Schuster.