on intellectual humility

embracing the art of saying "i don't know"

Photo by E. Vitka on Unsplash

hi babies,

so there i was, pants around my ankles, trying to explain the intricacies of quantum mechanics to my friend. spoiler alert: it didn't go well.

i don’t know why i do this so much. maybe it’s ego. maybe it’s that i think i know it and i really don’t. you see, i had fallen into that all-too-common trap of thinking i knew everything about everything. quantum physics? piece of cake. geopolitics? child's play. the correct way to pronounce "gif"? well… let's not open that can of worms, hahaha.

but here's the thing - in that moment, with my friend giving me the most judgmental look they can muster, i had an epiphany. maybe, just maybe, i didn't know as much as i thought i did.

welcome to the wild world of intellectual humility, where "i don't know" is the sexiest phrase in the english language and admitting ignorance is the new black.

let's face it - we live in a world where everyone's an expert. your aunt karen's facebook posts cure cancer, climate change, and male pattern baldness all in one fell swoop. your coworker chad can solve the middle east crisis over his lunch break. and don't even get me started on that guy at the bar who's convinced he could run the country better than any politician (spoiler alert: he can't even run a tab…).

but here's the tea: admitting you don't know something isn't a sign of weakness. it's a superpower. it's like having a get-out-of-bullshit-free card that you can play at any time. and let me tell you, it's liberating as hell.

think about it - when was the last time you said "i don't know" without following it up with a "but..." ? we're so conditioned to have an opinion on everything that we forget it's okay to sit in the discomfort of not knowing. it's like we're all contestants on "who wants to be a millionaire?" but the lifelines are wikipedia and whatever we half-remember from that podcast we listened to while doing dishes.

here's the thing, though: intellectual humility isn't about being a doormat or never having opinions.

it's about being open to the possibility that you might be wrong. it's about approaching conversations with curiosity instead of combat. it's about realizing that "i don't know" is often the beginning of learning, not the end of a conversation.

so, here are a few pearls of wisdom from your friendly neighborhood know-nothing:

1. embrace the awkward silence: next time someone asks you about a topic you're clueless about, try saying "i don't know" and then... wait for it... stop talking. let the silence do its thing. it's uncomfortable, but it's honest.

2. get comfortable with changing your mind: if new information comes along that contradicts what you believe, don't dig your heels in. do a little dance of joy because hey, you just learned something new!

3. ask questions like your life depends on it: curiosity is the antidote to arrogance. plus, people love talking about what they know. win-win.

4. treat your opinions like farts: if you must let one out, do so cautiously and be prepared for people to back away slowly.

5. remember, expertise is specific: just because you're a whiz at calculus doesn't mean you know jack about climate science. stay in your lane, or at least signal before you switch.

look, at the end of the day, we're all just tiny specks on a blue marble hurtling through space at ridiculous speeds.

none of us have it all figured out, and that's okay. embracing intellectual humility doesn't make you weak - it makes you human. a very wise, slightly less annoying human.

so the next time you find yourself in a debate about the socioeconomic impacts of avocado toast on millennial housing prospects, take a deep breath and say those magic words: "you know what? i don't know enough about this to have an informed opinion."

in a world full of self-proclaimed experts, admitting you don't know something is the ultimate plot twist.

stay humble, stay curious, and for the love of all that is holy - stop getting your news from memes!

until next time, may your "i don't knows" be plentiful and your awkward silences be embraced.

edgard 🧡

p.s. if anyone asks, i have no idea what i'm talking about. and that's the smartest thing i've said all day.