The power of admitting you don’t know

Admitting ignorance is one of the great things about being a journalist.

Well, maybe not ignorance. But it is OK to not know things. Journalists can ask questions without feeling dumb.

People expect it of you and make allowances – although constant questioning may explain why surveys show journalists are unpopular.

Professional ignoramus

What’s so great about admitting ignorance?

Most of the time society is intolerant when people don’t know things. We've all seen someone sneer when another person doesn't know something.

For these reasons many adults are reluctant to admit they have knowledge gaps. We often feel the need to disguise our ignorance.

Disguising ignorance is a particular problem for knowledge workers. Employers hire knowledge workers for their expertise and insight. They may feel cheated when told: “I don’t know” or “I’ll find out”. Which is just plain wrong because often these are the right answers that a responsible, skilled employee should provide.

Not knowing everything is glorious

Yet no-one can know everything – even in a narrow subject area.

Admitting you don’t know is liberating. Being able to ask questions is liberating.

Asking people to explain what they mean when they say something strange or incomprehensible is liberating.

On the other hand, pretending to understand when you don’t is stifling. And learning new information when you are busy trying to hide your ignorance is difficult.

I make a point of asking questions even when I suspect I know the answer. It is the best way of learning new knowledge, even if it makes me sound like an inquisitive child. But it also teases out other ways of looking at something. there are times when a fresh perspective on a well known issue is enlightening.

And I never worry about appearing ignorant.