>But, back to her original point, I have noticed that the smartest people and best researchers I know are not afraid to say "I don't know" when asked a question.
So true.
That is exactly what really hammered it home for me years ago.
I found myself working with a particularly capable and impressive guy who didn't have the slightest hesitation about saying "I don't know." when asked a question or "What's that?" when listening.
I've had some frustrating encounters with people who seem to live by hard and fast rules about what negative things "I don't know" supposedly demonstrates about a person [1], but overall it has been incredibly liberating. It's amazing how fast you can come to know someone and learn from them when you both come in open and unguarded.
1: A few of the more memorable responses I've seen to "I don't know".
* "Never, ever say that again. You should always try to relate the situation to something you do know. Saying I don't know just means you're lazy."
* "You were just feigning ignorance about that to get me to try to explain it so you could attack my explanation!"
> Never, ever say that again. You should always try to relate the situation to something you do know.
This is the best possible way to get thoroughly idiotic ideas in your head. If you ever want to completely and utterly misunderstand a subject, I could not think of any better way to do that than to follow this advice.
> You were just feigning ignorance about that to get me to try to explain it so you could attack my explanation!
And this is a psychotic level of insecurity manifesting itself as delusions of persecution.
So true.
That is exactly what really hammered it home for me years ago.
I found myself working with a particularly capable and impressive guy who didn't have the slightest hesitation about saying "I don't know." when asked a question or "What's that?" when listening.
I've had some frustrating encounters with people who seem to live by hard and fast rules about what negative things "I don't know" supposedly demonstrates about a person [1], but overall it has been incredibly liberating. It's amazing how fast you can come to know someone and learn from them when you both come in open and unguarded.
1: A few of the more memorable responses I've seen to "I don't know".
* "Never, ever say that again. You should always try to relate the situation to something you do know. Saying I don't know just means you're lazy."
* "You were just feigning ignorance about that to get me to try to explain it so you could attack my explanation!"