There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance, and most times, we don’t know we’ve crossed it until it humbles us. A friend told me his story a few days ago that hit this truth home in a way no motivational book ever could. It began with something as ordinary as a locked Cadillac and ended with a life lesson about the price of ego, a price far more expensive than money.
My friend's brother had shipped a Cadillac to Nigeria. The only problem? The car was locked tight. After a long search, he found a seasoned auto technician who claimed he could unlock the car for ₦650,000. That’s a heavy price tag, the brother thought so. Instead of trusting the expert, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Two weeks later, he returned with gadgets, manuals, and YouTube tutorials, ready to prove his brilliance.
Hours passed. They tried, along with my friend, every trick in the book. The car remained unmoved. The mechanic, watching from a distance, didn’t interfere. He nodded, smiled, and occasionally said "well done."That subtle smirk probably carried years of experience and the quiet satisfaction of someone who knows that life teaches better than words ever could.
When they finally conceded defeat and approached the mechanic again, his new price was ₦750,000. The man wasn’t being petty but making a statement. Wisdom appreciates in value while ego depreciates in worth. In two short hours, he did what they couldn’t in days, using tools they didn’t even know existed.
Now pause and think: how often do we play out this same story in our own lives?
How often do we undervalue the knowledge of others because we want to appear equally smart, capable, or in control?
Many of us suffer from what I like to call “expert illusion.” The belief that a quick Google search can replace years of experience. We forget that true mastery is born not from information, but from repetition, failure, and time. That mechanic didn’t just know how to unlock a Cadillac; he had probably unlocked hundreds before. His knowledge was earned in grease, sweat, and countless mistakes.