Cerebrate Weekly: Get 10% Edge and Start Working

Issue-13: May 05, 2023 by Sabith Mohammed |

Have you ever had great ideas or initiatives but been held back from starting them? This could be due to certain psychological blocks, such as the fear of failure, Imposter Syndrome, the Curse of knowledge, and the Abilene paradox.

Well, You’re not alone. Psychologist and author Adam Grant in his book Originals cites some examples from history where in some of the greatest change makers were initially held by these psychological blocks.

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is that feeling of inadequacy despite possessing the necessary skills and knowledge.

For Eg: Legendary Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr was apprehensive about leading the Civil Right Movement.

“It had happened so quickly that I did not even have time to think it through. It is probable that if I had, I would have declined the nomination,” King reflected.

When he was elected to lead the boycott and subsequently faced with giving a speech to the community that evening., he remarked: “I became possessed by fear”

This feeling of inadequacy and self doubt despite possessing the necessary skills and knowledge is something many people struggle with.

Curse of Knowledge

When it comes to knowledge work, another phenomenon that holds back people from publishing original ideas is “Curse of Knowledge”. It refers to a cognitive bias in which we over estimate how likely others are to know and understand the same things as us.

Copernicus did not publish his work for almost 30 years. It’s possible that Copernicus experienced the curse of knowledge when he was developing and sharing his theory of heliocentrism.

As an expert in astronomy and mathematics, he may have found it challenging to explain his revolutionary ideas to others who did not share his level of expertise.

Copernicus’ theory of heliocentrism challenged the long-held geocentric belief that the Earth was at the center of the universe, and this made it a difficult idea for many people to accept.

The Abilene Paradox

The Abilene paradox, is a strange phenomenon where a group of people all end up doing what none of them actually want to do, because everyone is too afraid to openly question the status quo. This is what happened with the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. Managers were desperate to launch the shuttle, so they ignored warnings from engineers about the risks of launching in cold weather. The shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after launch, with millions of viewers watching on TV.

10% Edge

Author Amy Porterfield suggests a powerful way to overcome these psychological barriers in her book “Two Week’s Notice”. She calls it the “10% Edge”.

This concept is all about getting a slight advantage in any area that you want to pursue and then start building over it. You don’t need a revolutionary new idea to start a business. You just need to find your 10-percent edge.

Finding your 10-percent edge simply means finding a topic in which you have 10 percent more knowledge and ability than the average person.

By committing to getting a 10% edge, you gradually build momentum and make significant progress in overcoming psychological barriers.

Porterfield’s approach is based on the idea that small wins can lead to big gains. Instead of trying to make drastic changes all at once, it’s often more effective to focus on making small improvements and building momentum over time.


💬Quote of the Week

Claiming that you need to “learn more” or “get all of your ducks in a row” can often be a crutch that prevents you from moving forward on the stuff that actually matters
– James Clear

🧭Weekly Compass

The Abilene paradox: When not rocking the boat may sink the boat: This beautiful article by Ness Labs explains the concept of Abilene Paradox in detail.


🧠Food for Thought

What is one thing you can learn today to get the 10% edge?


📖Read & Rise

📧 Newsletter: Read the past issues Cerebrate Weekly:

  1. Your attention Shapes Your Reality
  2. Preparation is the game.
  3. Read! In the name of your Lord

Tools for Thought :Readwise: Do you want to better retain what you read? Check out Readwise, an app that can help you grow wiser and remember books more effectively. Readwise consolidates highlights from all your favorite reading platforms into one place, making it fun and easy to revisit them.

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