The word troublesome means causing difficulty or annoyance. Knowledge is the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. Troublesome knowledge is knowledge that usually causes both difficulty and annoyance.
That’s because the concepts are challenging to grasp for a variety of reasons, and the struggle of trying to incorporate or integrate them into existing beliefs or understanding can be frustrating, sometimes exceedingly so.
Some of the things that make knowledge troublesome are:
- It conflicts with preexisting beliefs, especially if those beliefs are deeply held.
- It is counterintuitive or seems illogical.
- It is complex or difficult to understand.
- It is disconcerting.
- It requires a (transformational) change in self-perception.
Troublesome knowledge challenges the learner and can cause cognitive conflict as learners compare new ideas with their prior knowledge. Unlike knowledge that is not considered troublesome, it can’t be learned or incorporated in a step-by-step, logical/linear manner. It does, however, include threshold concepts that need to be grasped along the way in order for us to develop a more comprehensive understanding of an issue, subject, or system.
What researchers have learned over the past 25 years about how the brain works conflicts with many of our longstanding and deeply held beliefs. Those beliefs, which have been reinforced continuously (and somewhat relentlessly) by various experts, must be both recognized and questioned in order for any substantial change to take place. The new knowledge cannot simply be grafted onto the existing structure.
We all have somewhat different belief structures, which is why people exposed to identical material—be it troublesome or non-troublesome—will process it differently and will almost always develop their understanding in different ways, at different times, and at their own pace. But this is especially the case for troublesome knowledge. It’s also why simply grasping a concept is not sufficient for understanding its relevance, importance, or even its meaning.
Real-World Applications
Troublesome knowledge is a concept developed and used in academia. In the area of the brain and behavior it has application to:
- Our ordinary experience of the world and of being in the world
- Our memories
- The choices we make
- Our story (or stories) about ourselves
- Our sense of who we are
One example of troublesome knowledge is the fact that the unconscious part of our brain (System 1) processes 11 million bits of information at a time, while the conscious part (System 2) processes a mere 40 bits of information. Another example is the recognition that we operate on autopilot nearly 95% of the time. This knowledge is troublesome because it doesn’t match our felt experience or our previous understanding. In addition, the gap between 11 million and 40 is almost impossible to imagine.
In addition, distinctions, such as the difference between two key concepts, are often difficult to grasp. Some distinctions are:
- Desired Outcomes vs. Objectives
- Aspirations vs. Ambitions
- Psychological Tension vs. Creative Tension
- Self-Creation vs. Self-Actualization
- Urgency vs. Emergency
No Rewards for Me, Thank You Very Much
A real-world example is the attempt many people make to incorporate rewarding themselves for good behavior (my slightly tongue-in-cheek descriptor) into the process of developing or changing a behavior while still maintaining a belief that they shouldn’t have to reward themselves.
If you believe that understanding the benefits of a particular behavior or that having an intention regarding the behavior ought to be sufficient to produce consistent, positive action, you can’t simultaneously believe that the brain runs on and responds to rewards rather than on your thoughts or good intentions. This is true even if you grasp the concept of rewards intellectually.
The necessity of rewarding yourself for good behavior amounts to troublesome knowledge that is hard for many people to accept.
*Better think twice
.Your train of thought will be altered
.So if you must falter be wise
.-Disturbia, Rihanna