The Circle of Competence: Knowing Your Limits of Knowledge 🧠

Ever ventured into something you don't actually understand? There's a principle for knowing when to stick to what you know best.

It's called the Circle of Competence - acknowledging the boundaries of your expertise. ⭕️

What is the Circle of Competence?

Your circle of competence is your zone of understanding - topics and skills you are highly capable in. This circle is narrow for a reason.⭕️

Trying to operate outside our competence circles risks mistakes, and wasted time and money. 💸🤦‍♂️

Benefits of Respecting Your Circle ⭕️

Staying within your circle of competence has advantages:

• Play to your strengths for the best results 💪

• Avoid beginner's overconfidence and errors 😌

• Focus your learning and experience ⭕️

Downsides of Venturing Outside It

But venturing beyond your true competence can lead to:

• Taking on projects beyond your skill level 😰

• Making misinformed decisions 🤔

• Assuming you're an expert when you're not 😬

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Examples

Some scenarios where people operate outside their circles:

• An amateur investor placing options trades 📈

• A doctor giving nutrition advice beyond their expertise 🥦👩‍⚕️

• A CEO weighing in on tech they don't understand 💻🤷‍♂️

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If you have any feedback, suggestions, or want to discuss any topic further, please let me know in the comments or email me at gopichandbusam@substack.com.