There’s a reason why doctors are advised not to help treat their loved ones or close friends.

It seems counter-intituive. More time with someone might provide even more information and insight to create better decisions. In fact, that’s sometimes how parents reason with their own judgement versus a doctor’s.

But the relationships and connections introduce a factor of bias that actually clouds reasonable judgement in important cases.

It’s in interesting observation that as humans tend to get closer to something or someone, surprisingly lose even more sight of what it is. The illusions comes from associating that closeness with a feeling of better judgement.

Perhaps the people deepest in an academic subject are the worst people to get advise on (a subject matter of David Epstein’s book Range). Perhaps the person closest to someone is not who should give the recommendation of their character (for better or for worse).

It’s worth getting insight from someone close to or deep into something, but it may not be providing the whole picture (or even worse, be providing the wrong picture).