Success Bias

Some learning methods become very popular, especially in language-learning communities. One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is why popular methods don’t necessarily work well for everyone. There are several aspects to this but one part seems to be success bias: we hear far more about what worked than about what didn’t. Over time, this creates the impression that certain techniques are universally effective, simply because we’re exposed to them so often.

I think it’s worth being cautious when we come across “popular” methods. A method may work extremely well for some people, but popularity alone doesn’t mean it’s inherently better than less well-known approaches.

People are much more likely to share their successes than their failures, which can make certain methods seem more effective than they really are. We might see a handful of learners or content creators who achieved great results, but we don’t see all the people who tried the same method and quietly moved on because it didn’t work for them. (for whatever reasons) This makes it hard to judge whether a technique works well for a large group of learners or only for a lucky minority.

That said, I don’t think success stories are a bad thing. If a method genuinely works for someone and they want to share it, that’s great. Other people’s experiences can be motivating and inspiring, and it’s always interesting to see how differently people learn.

I just think we should remember that failure stories matter too. They’re usually less visible, but they’re an important part of the bigger picture. Without them, it’s easy to get a distorted view of how effective a method really is. Often, there’s just as much (if not more) to learn from what didn’t work as from what did. 

In the end, both success and failure stories have value. Together, they help create a more realistic understanding of learning methods and remind us that there’s no single approach that works for everyone.

PS: This applies to my own posts as well. I write about what works for me, not because I think it’s the best or only way, but in case my experiences are helpful to someone. If something works for you, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. Keep experimenting until you find what suits you.