I Know That I Know Nothing

Most of our days are filled with proving ourselves capable of our responsibilities. Using our knowledge of work duties, daily chores, social relationships, hygiene, childcare, class materials, etc. keep our lives moving smoothly. We know what we know and we seek knowledge to navigate, expand, and excel in our human experiences. It’s part of life.

“You should give me this promotion because I know and can provide [fill in the blank] to strengthen your business.”

“I’m teaching my daughter what I know about spirituality so she can form opinions of her own.”

“I know that my boyfriend likes when I make an extra cup of coffee for him in the morning. We learned that small things make a big difference in our relationship.”

“Sometimes I just really don’t want to do the dishes after dinner, but I know that if I wait, the food will begin to smell and the entire kitchen will stink.”

“If I don’t clean this cut, I know there is the possibility of infection.”

Whether it’s basic personal knowledge or mastersdegree-backed knowledge, we rely on what we know.

Because these things are so often top-of-mind, acknowledging and respecting what we don’t know is a much more difficult task. Hello, ego.

Information does not equal intelligence. One more time for the peeps in the back: information does not equal intelligence.

“I know that I know nothing.” –Plato/Socrates-ish

The lack of knowledge does not make you incompetent.

In fact, I would argue that an intelligent individual has the wherewithal to know: you can have the most amount of books in the world memorized, gone to grad school for 8 years, experienced 30 years in a career, and at the end of the day you know that you don’t know SHIT!

You question and seek answers/solutions to things you don’t understand. File it away in your mind (whether you remember or not, who’s to say), and continue on. This also doesn’t merit superiority.

A fool is incapable of looking beyond their own experiences/knowledge. (Not to mention misinformation being claimed as knowledge, but that’s beside the point.)

So, when you say the phrase “I know that I know nothing,” do you believe it?