Comment by jeffrallen
Comment by jeffrallen 12 hours ago
Also, a novice is more ready to learn a lesson on the way back from a dead end than while barreling down towards it.
Comment by jeffrallen 12 hours ago
Also, a novice is more ready to learn a lesson on the way back from a dead end than while barreling down towards it.
Advice while struggling is the key. I mentor a few friends, but if I'm giving directions, it is kept vague so that the task is still done by themselves. A proper review is only done after they tried or completed the tasks. This way, they already know the scope of the problem so the solution is way more understandable.
(author here) This is an interesting point. I hadn't considered it, but I agree. Or maybe to be more specific, I think the novice has some prior that their idea will work, and hearing an expert's disagreement will update their prior somewhat. If the novice has a high respect for the expert, that update will be large enough. But sometimes the novice just has to experience the pain firsthand in order to truly appreciate why something is a bad idea.