The Power of "I Don't Know"

I am slightly information obsessed. I suppose that's appropriate as an information scientist. I want to know and learn as much as I absolutely can, but this wasn't always the case. My patience and understanding have evolved over the years to the point where I am completely comfortable admitting that I may not know something. This wasn't an easy transition and is complicated by the fact that I want others to know or at the very least perceive me as an intelligent person. This commenced in high school and now, 14 years later, I feel like I can finally say "I don't know" without fear.

This partially stems from the notion that "I don't know" means something completely different to me now than it did 5 or 10 or 15 years ago. Recently, I had a conversation with one our seniors at GHS and he (who shall remain nameless) told me that he liked to argue almost for the sake of arguing and, moreover, had a real problem with admitting defeat whilst engaging in debate. He, like myself in high school, is under this odd 21st century perception that freely admitting ignorance about a topic removes himself from further discussion of that topic. I get it, I really do. When discussing politics or religion or history or science, it's tough to say those words- but I'm here to tell you IT'S OKAY! Why? Because here's what "I don't know" really means...

It means "I haven't discovered that yet."

It doesn't remove you from the conversation, it gives you an opportunity to discover something new. I know that everything is immediate today. If a response isn't given in 30 seconds and it's over 140 characters, it might as well never happen. We move on. We're done. What's the next topic? It's almost as if that when no response is given, those that last spoke win. There's no time to say, "You know, I don't know. Can I get back to you?" They're done with you. And let me assure you, that's okay.

The conversations, the true conversations that you have now will not only lay the foundation for further debates, but they will give more to talk about in the future. You don't know everything. You never will. But using "I don't know" as a springboard to further research and understanding will open your mind. And I can almost guarantee that if you do revisit a conversation with someone after the fact (and after you've learned more on the topic), it will benefit you both.

We are born not inherently good or evil, but inherently ignorant. It's human nature to yearn for knowledge as well as acceptance. But you are not validated by "likes" and retweets. In the end, validation comes from your own sense of self worth and discovery. Whether it's said out loud or a simple thought in your head, "I don't know" should not be the end of the conversation, but rather the starting point.