What Stops Me from Posting Publicly
What stops me from writing and posting something publicly? Probably the same thing stops you, too: the belief that it is not novel enough. I think it comes from the belief that we do not have good enough content to share. When we read highly cited or widely shared articles online, we usually find something novel in them. So, when it comes to writing and sharing our own ideas, we judge them from…
What stops me from publishing my thoughts publicly? The answer is likely the same reason as yours: the belief that my content lacks originality. This stems from the notion that our ideas aren't good enough to share. Upon reading highly cited or widely shared articles, we often perceive them as novel, leading us to undervalue our own ideas.
Since most ideas we encounter are within our informational bubble, we genuinely believe they're common sense and worth nothing. Research supports this intuition, known as the curse of knowledge: once something feels familiar, we tend to overestimate its widespread knowledge. In earlier experiments, better-informed individuals were unable to ignore their own knowledge when predicting others' judgments.
Later studies found that people are more likely to deem information common knowledge if it's easy to recall, even when it's not widely known. Next time you're about to dismiss an idea, ask someone outside your circle whether they find it common sense. Then, regardless of anyone's opinion, write and post your article for your own benefit.
Despite centuries of shared human experience, we all grapple with similar problems. Even if your ideas seem mundane, offering your unique interpretation or perspective can resonate with others. I learned this lesson when I considered posting a simple blog idea. Initially, I nearly gave up, but reading a widely shared article on Hacker News reignited my confidence.
Even a seemingly ordinary post can gain traction if it's authentic. So, I published my post, shared it on Hacker News, and waited for feedback. Much to my surprise, friends began messaging me, excited about my post's unexpected success on the front page of Hacker News. While it wasn't groundbreaking, it struck a chord with readers.
I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but I'm convinced novelty is a self-imposed filter that can dismiss potentially valuable content. Don't let this stop you from sharing your thoughts. Dedicate 60 minutes to brainstorming, post your idea, and share the link.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
