Even just saying to a newbie, “I know that you don’t recognize this as help because you don’t get it yet but could you please trust me that it is intended as help” would probably convince many more people to just look again rather than bailing
That’s a really good point. Humans are particularly bad at communicating over that kind of inferential distance (see post by that name for jargon or infer from context—kinda means what you are saying). People who have been thinking from within one culture for a long time will often not even understand what their words will mean to someone who has not. This applies to university courses too. Looking back it doesn’t seem like I learned anything that wasn’t bloody obvious… until I look at the people who didn’t have equivalent training.
You, having recently understood the culture in question, are in a perfect place to inform others. And it is best to do it now, before you forget why what you now know wasn’t always obvious. And you will forget, given time.
This reply, with a little tinkering to target it specifically to the desired effect, would make a good post and I can imagine people referring to it frequently. People may still take it as an insult and leave in disgust.… but some may not.
That’s a really good point. Humans are particularly bad at communicating over that kind of inferential distance (see post by that name for jargon or infer from context—kinda means what you are saying). People who have been thinking from within one culture for a long time will often not even understand what their words will mean to someone who has not. This applies to university courses too. Looking back it doesn’t seem like I learned anything that wasn’t bloody obvious… until I look at the people who didn’t have equivalent training.
You, having recently understood the culture in question, are in a perfect place to inform others. And it is best to do it now, before you forget why what you now know wasn’t always obvious. And you will forget, given time.
This reply, with a little tinkering to target it specifically to the desired effect, would make a good post and I can imagine people referring to it frequently. People may still take it as an insult and leave in disgust.… but some may not.