Previously, I shared a lesson from Adam Grant's book Think Again, and I also spoke about why I am always willing to listen whenever it is Adam Grant talking. Here is the link to the previous post
Book Study: Think Again by Adam Grant
And today's lesson, we will be looking at: “If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”
The quote is straight to the point, and that is another thing with Adam Grant; he gets right to the point. I love it when one is direct with their words in writing, and most importantly, when communicating. It can be challenging dealing with someone who beats around the bush or worse, speaks in riddles. Like, please hit the nail on the head already and stop beating around the bush. I am not here for games. Well, you do not have to worry about that with Adam Grant.
The quote talks about how we have seen knowledge as power, admiring people who are confident in whatever they are saying, and above all, bold in what they say. Well, Adam Grant goes the other way by talking about what if we also admire the courage of one to admit what they do not know, accepting their ignorance, and owning up to it. That is interesting from my viewpoint. We should also be confident to admit when we do not know something, for this is where the true knowledge lies. Currently, the world is built in a way that does not enocurage the ones who do not know, which is why many get ashamed to admit it when they do not know, rather the pretend to know.
On a deeper note, it is more taxing when you think about it. How many of us are willing to say I do not know or willing to accept our ignorance? Well, that is what the author is advising we should do. This is because it gives room for learning, unlike when you claim to know. The confidence may be there, but is the knowledge? If not, it is only a matter of time before you get rat out.
I also respect the fact that Adam Grant shared. He spoke about how when you get overconfident in believing that you know it all, you leave no room for acquiring new knowledge. There are specifics in understanding the fact that there is always room for improvement, and you can learn more than you think, only when you are wise enough to know that you do not know.
The author also went on to compare overconfidence with calibration, describing overconfidence as I know, and calibration here is what I might be missing. One claims to know it all, and the other is open to learning what is missing. Nobody is an island of knowledge that knows it all; some just have more knowledge in a particular field compared to others. He shared his knowledge on the fact that professionals in certain fields, like science, do not fail because of a lack of knowledge, but rather because of their overconfidence in thinking they know it all. This has led to investors losing a lot of money because they felt they knew it all when it came to the market, but the world was shifting right under their nose and they did not pay attention. Stick to being open to learn what you do not know and having the guts to admit you do not know it.
I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.
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This seems to be a great book. Another quote with impact: “If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.” It reminded me of that phrase: "I would trade what I know for what I don't know" or "We keep learning until we die"
Hehehe that's a nice phrase, love it!
Thanks for stopping by.