We all operate with three levels of knowledge:
Things we know we know
Things we know we don’t know
And the hardest to reach—things we don’t know that we don’t know.
Effective learning often begins when we tap into that third layer. But accessing it isn’t always smooth. In fact, the most valuable learning often feels difficult, even frustrating. Let’s look at two scenarios, two Learning Experiences, Same Topic, Different Outcomes.
Scenario 1:
A participant completes a training session feeling accomplished. The trainer was clear, confident, and enthusiastic. The content made sense, and everything clicked easily. The participant walks away with a sense of achievement and clarity.
Scenario 2:
Another participant attends a similar session, but the experience is different. The topic requires effort. Some concepts don’t click right away. The questions asked by the trainer lead to more questions, not answers. The session ends with unresolved thoughts and an internal sense of struggle.
Now, here’s the question: who actually learned more?
The first participant may have had a more comfortable experience, but comfort isn’t always a reliable indicator of meaningful learning. In fact, it can signal the opposite.
The Illusion of Learning: When Easy Feels Like Progress
When training is smooth, structured, and simplified, it can leave us with the sense that we’ve learned a lot. But this sense of understanding is sometimes surface-level. Educational researchers refer to this as the illusion of competence or illusion of learning, when learners believe they’ve mastered a topic just because it was easy to follow.
This kind of learning tends to fade quickly. Without cognitive effort – without the brain being forced to grapple with information – we fail to make the kind of mental connections that lead to long-term retention.
Struggle, Cognitive Effort, and Deep Learning
In contrast, the second participant’s experience involved cognitive effort – a mental state where the brain is fully engaged in making sense of complex, unfamiliar, or ambiguous content. That discomfort is often a signal that something more valuable is happening.
When we wrestle with challenging ideas, we:
Process information more deeply
Make links to existing knowledge
Reflect on the limits of what we know
Begin forming new patterns of thought
This process is where deep learning happens – not just recalling facts but restructuring how we think.
Why Struggle Strengthens Memory
There’s a strong neurological basis for this. Learning that requires more effort activates multiple regions of the brain. It demands energy, focus, and problem-solving. That mental work creates new synaptic connections, making it more likely that what you’ve learned will stick.
The act of pushing through confusion or ambiguity strengthens your ability to retrieve that knowledge later. It’s similar to physical training – the more you work a muscle, the stronger it becomes. In this case, your muscle is memory, reinforced by difficulty and effort.
Learning That Lasts Requires More Than Inspiration
Motivating trainers and clear explanations are helpful, but they are not enough on their own. Learners grow more when they are invited into discomfort. Not frustration for its own sake, but constructive struggle: where new ideas push against old assumptions and demand integration.
Easy learning can create temporary satisfaction; hard learning creates lasting understanding.
So, Who Really Learned More?
The second participant likely walked away with deeper, more durable knowledge. They didn’t just listen and absorb, they processed, questioned, connected, and reshaped their understanding. That work may not feel rewarding in the moment, but over time, it delivers far greater cognitive return.
How to Build Learning That Sticks
If you’re a trainer, educator, coach, or team leader, here’s what to keep in mind:
Don’t design for comfort – design for cognitive engagement.
Ask questions that challenge assumptions.
Leave space for reflection and uncertainty.
Encourage active struggle, not passive reception.
And if you’re a learner, don’t shy away from the hard stuff. That’s usually where the growth happens.
Embrace the Hard Parts
Real learning rarely feels smooth. The moments that confuse, challenge, and stretch us are the ones we’re most likely to remember – and benefit from.
If it feels hard, you’re probably learning something that matters.
