There's true comfort in the phrase "I don't know". Not in a way of disclaiming responsibility, but the acceptance that you don't know everything.
You're not expected to know everything - you've heard it a million times - nobody has all the answers. Infact; the collected knowledge of everyone on the planet is infinitely less than what we don't know - not including everything we don't know that we don't know.
You can chose to view this as a detriment - "I don't know enough" or you can see it as a opportunity to learn. There are things you don't know - which means there are things you can learn - which again means; you can become better than you are.
You might have heard the saying "Perfection is the enemy of Progress". It is true - if you're caught up in everything being perfect, you'll never finish anything - you might not even start because you're scared of failing.
— but change the words a little "Perfection is the END of Progress". Now the meaning is different, but the message is the same - although I would argue, a bit clearer.
Perfection is the end goal - it's the finish line. Now in any individual task finishing is important. But you never want to "be finished". What are you supposed to do then?
There's always more to learn. None of us experience any positive emotion unless we see ourselves progressing toward an intended goal. When the goal is reached, I bet you've felt a jolt of joy. For it to pass rather quickly. Or maybe you're more like me - the joy never comes, only a feeling of relief that the task is done.
"Evil is the force which believe its knowledge is complete" - Dr. Jordan B. Peterson.
The most prominent example of this is probably Satan himself. He believed he knew better than God (the Ideal). He believed he was perfect. His home is now Hell.
A parallel to this is probably our own brain and it's mechanism of survival. To admit the knowledge you possess is insufficient - is to let the version of you that is confident in your abilities, die. Not literally, but metaphorically of course. But this is a taxing effort - it takes a lot of energy - it is setting you up for a tremendous amount of work to aquire the necessary knowledge to thrive.
The brain wants to preserve energy. It is necessary for survival. To expend a lot of energy adapting to a new environment is something most of us avoid. We like routine, we like comfort, we like what we already know and master. "The Devil you know is better than the Desert you don't" (ref. Exodus, Moses leading his followers through the desert for 40 years).
There's comfort in knowing that it isn't "your fault" that you're stuck. It's your brains basic instinct of survival. There's even more comfort in knowing that fact, because you can counteract it.
"In filth it will be found".
"That which you most need, is hiding where you least want to look".
Your brain wants to survive, it wants routine, it wants to keep doing what it already knows. That means, what you least want to do, what you're most afraid to do, is EXACTLY what you can do to progress!
The greatest skill of the rational mind is to convince itself that what it knows now, is enough.
Consider "The Fool".
The person in a Kings Court willing to humiliate themselves for others amusement. "The Wise Jester".
The takeaway from this should be the humiliation part. To present yourself willingly for humiliation is the very definition of humility - to be humble.
"The Fool" is not yet wise. He is stupid.
To be stupid is to act without knowing the consequences of your action - it's the same to be brave.
The only difference is that the Brave KNOW that they don't know - and do it anyway. They don't let the fear of humiliation stop them.
Every "Hero's Journey" starts of with "The Fool".
He who has to leave his village in search of adventure - he who willingly steps out of his comfort zone into the unknown. He who goes where he has not before (I.e Samwise Gamgee when he goes further away from the Shire than he ever has before - this scene is not accidental).
Only when you willingly present yourself as "The Fool" - ready to meet adversity and strife head on - can you grow to become "The Hero".
To willingly admit you don't know, sets you up to find out.
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