“I don’t know” is not a confession of failure. When spoken honestly, it becomes a doorway to learning, credibility and the discovery of what you were truly created to know and do.
There are certain subjects that escape me entirely.
Some are things I do not know because I have had little or no exposure to them. Other subjects do not interest me enough to pursue.
Both conditions place me in the category of not knowing—and I am at peace with that.
What I do not know, I do not know.
Recognizing that fact is a type of knowing in itself, if you choose to believe it.
YOUTHFUL IGNORANCE
In my younger years, I was eager to please for a variety of reasons.
I was not eager to admit ignorance or acknowledge that I did not know something. That did not appear to help a person get ahead or make their personal stock go up.
You did not boast about what you did not know—but you did not necessarily admit it either.
Many people learned to hide uncertainty because they believed confidence meant always having an answer.
OH, THAT?
Today, not knowing is more difficult to hide or manipulate.
With the Internet, we can locate information about almost anything within seconds. But finding information does not mean we possess an intimate working knowledge of the subject.
Cursory awareness is everywhere—and it is cheap.
Reading a headline, watching a short video or searching for a quick answer does not automatically produce experience, understanding or expertise.
Knowing where to find information and knowing how to use it are two different things.
COME HITHER
When a subject genuinely activates something within you, an interesting process begins.
As you move toward the subject, it seems to move toward you.
Desire, interest and yearning power the pursuit. If allowed to go full circle, this process can bring understanding, closure and a meaningful result.
It may even lead you toward another pleasant subject: your purpose.
I CAN DO IT ALL?
This reminds me of when I first became licensed as a real-estate agent.
I correctly believed that I was legally able to work in many areas of real estate. On the surface, that was true. In theory, the license allowed me to practice.
But application presents another question:
How good are you at actually doing it?
Real estate contains many different fields, specialties, transactions and situations. Being licensed did not mean I possessed intimate working knowledge of every one of them.
Permission is not the same as proficiency.
I DIDN’T KNOW
When a person admits—to themselves and then to others—that they do not know something, it becomes an honest and intimate gesture.
It produces vulnerability and the possibility of growth at the same time.
In a safe environment, admitting it may be fairly painless. In a high-risk situation, the same admission can sting or even appear to backfire.
But pretending to know something important can carry a much greater cost.
NONE OF US KNEW
It is interesting to remember that every one of us entered this world not knowing.
From our first breath, we were introduced to learning experiences. Some were direct, while others were indirect.
The body was already programmed to grow and develop without waiting for our instructions.
Eventually, we became aware enough to join the process.
Not knowing was our original condition. Learning became part of our natural development.
FAKING IT?
I have admitted not knowing something and surprised people who expected me to know.
But what is a person supposed to do when they know they do not know—and the situation requires knowledge before proceeding?
Why misrepresent yourself?
Fake it?
Pretend?
There may be moments when we must move forward carefully while still learning. But that is different from falsely claiming knowledge or experience we do not possess.
HONEST UNCERTAINTY
“I don’t know” does not have to end a conversation.
It can be followed by:
“But I will find out.”
“Let me check.”
“I know someone who can help.”
“I need more information before answering.”
Honest uncertainty becomes useful when it is connected to responsible action.
YES, NO AND I DON’T KNOW
Here is something else worth noting.
When a person correctly handles what they know and do not know, the strength of their YES and NO improves considerably.
A trustworthy YES means something.
A trustworthy NO means something.
A trustworthy “I don’t know” means something too.
When a person learns to command all three responses honestly, credibility and confidence soar.
SELF-CONTAINED
It is amazing how much of this has been designed, constructed and placed within creation.
Our abilities unfold throughout a lifetime, often with less force than we imagine is necessary.
The receiver can take those abilities where they are meant to go through honesty, experience and righteous motives.
We are not required to know everything.
We are responsible for honestly handling what has been placed within our care.
YOUR ABILITIES
In every profession, people build their lives around what they know, enjoy or feel called to do.
Something within them is stirred. Their skills bank begins to open, and their abilities are developed and put to use.
These professionals are the people ordinary, non-expert clients seek when they need knowledge beyond their own.
That is how abilities begin serving purposes larger than the person who possesses them.
UNIQUENESS
Each of us possesses a unique collection of talents, skills, abilities and gifts.
They can serve our purposes and the purposes of others. When used correctly, they also honor the One who gave them.
That is one way we pay for these precious items:
We put them to good use.
The good returns to the Good-Maker, and everyone involved is benefited.
TAKE STOCK OF YOURSELF
Be quick to tell yourself—and, when necessary, other people—whether you know or do not know.
Then expect what belongs to you to come forward, enter your life and help develop the personal self.
Honest self-assessment does not lower your personal stock.
Properly handled, it raises it.
METHINKS
By the way, I only want to know what I am supposed to know—and no more than that.
Filling one’s head with endless data, information, instructions and memories by force instead of allowing knowledge to develop naturally can require considerable maintenance.
People who think too much can miss a great deal of life, methinks.
FINAL THOUGHT
The goal is not to know everything. The goal is to handle honestly what we know, what we do not know and what we are willing to learn. “I don’t know” becomes powerful when it is truthful, responsible and open to discovery.
PEARLS INSIGHT (SEO)
Admitting that you do not know something can strengthen credibility, confidence and self-awareness. Intellectual humility helps prevent misinformation, encourages responsible learning and allows people to seek qualified expertise when a decision exceeds their knowledge or experience.
PEARLS FROM THE BOOKS
There is knowledge in recognizing the limits of your knowledge. Once you know where your understanding ends, you have found the honest place from which learning can begin.
PEARLS CONNECTION
Choose one subject you have been pretending to understand. Replace the pressure to perform with one honest sentence: “I don’t know enough about this yet, but I am willing to learn.”
RICHIE SPEAKS
Do not lower your credibility by pretending. A strong YES, an honest NO and a responsible “I don’t know” are three of the most useful answers a person can command.
FINAL SAY
Knowing that you do not know is not the end of intelligence. It may be the moment intelligence truly begins.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
Website: https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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