Don't Be Stupid

Just Admit You Don’t Know! Progress will only happen when you admit you don’t know, so stop being so arrogant.

From the dawn of time until the scientific revolution, humans progressed very little. It was only when we admitted that we did not know everything that we needed to know that we realized any significant progress. In his incredibly insightful book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari suggests that premodern humans obtained their necessary knowledge by asking someone who knew more than them, such as a local authority or priest. If the authority did not know, or if the answer was not written in some religious text, it must not be important (Harari, pg. 251). The idea that knowledge creates power did not enter the minds of premodern leaders. At least not in the same way that knowledge is deeply connected to the power of today’s empires. The idea of using resources to gain more knowledge, which would translate into technological advances that give organizations and governments more power, was not the objective before the scientific revolution. 

“The typical premodern ruler gave money to priests, philosophers, and poets in the hope that they would legitimize his rule and maintain social order. He did not expect them to discover new medication, invent new weapons, or stimulate economic growth” (Harari, pg. 249).

This is a far different approach from the trillions of dollars spent on research, explorations, and the development of new technologies that give today's entities a competitive edge, which translates to power. 

The scientific revolution created an entirely new tradition of knowledge that openly admits ignorance. “The willingness to admit ignorance has made modern science more dynamic, supple, and inquisitive than any precious tradition of knowledge” (Harari, pg. 253). It took more than admitting ignorance, it took belief in the idea that knowledge could create progress. Before the scientific revolution, humans did not believe in progress. Cultures believed that the good old days were in the past and that their various gods would save them by ending all human suffering. It wasn’t until the scientific revolution that humans shifted their beliefs from submissive acceptance of the world as it is to a belief that increased knowledge could lead to an improved world. 

How Captain Cook Contributed to Progress

Before the scientific revolution up until the late 1700s, it was very common for ocean expeditions to experience a lot of fatalities from what we know now as a deficiency of Vitamin C, or Scurvy. The inevitable loss of so many sailors caused explorations to be over-staffed to account for the loss of personnel along the way. Due to the lack of fruits and vegetables during seafaring journeys, sailors would lose energy and become depressed before their teeth would fall out, they would grow feverish, and would ultimately die. Premodern thought would suggest that scurvy was a naturally occurring problem in the world and it was the way it was. Sailors would probably pray for protection as their remedy rather than find a scientific way to cure the problem. 

After a British physician named James Lind conducted experiments, ultimately admitting that first, he did not know why scurvy happened, and two, that understanding the cause would be important to the future of sea travel, he set about to find the cause and the cure. After developing a hypothesis, he tested it by exploring dietary changes and found that citrus fruits were the answer, however, we now know it is Vitamin C. Not everyone believed Lind’s theory. In fact, “the Royal Navy was not convinced by Lind’s experiments, but James Cook was. He was resolved to prove the doctor right” (Harari, pg. 277). After Cook loaded his ship with necessary foods for the new diet, and required his crew to eat fruits and vegetables when on land, Cook did not lose a single sailor. 

Scurvy was cured, allowing scientific expeditions, military campaigns, and all other travel at sea to be safer and more cost-effective. The money saved by not losing sailors to scurvy helped fund even more scientific findings, more exploration, more global connectivity, trade, and conquest. In other words, the scientific thought of admitting ignorance allowed an increase in knowledge that created exponential progress. All because of saying “I don’t know why, but I want to understand.”

Admitting Ignorance to Experience Progress in Business

In today’s world, we now generally understand that research and development, scientific exploration, and new technology are critical to giving governments, organizations, and individuals the competitive edge needed for growth and progress. But what we often fail to remember is that admitting ignorance is also important for all other aspects of business in order to see improvements. Developing a great company culture through leadership takes a deep understanding of your employees, what matters to them, and how your leadership is working, or not working. To improve your company, you cannot allow the status quo to even exist, rather, you must put continual improvement programs in place to remain healthy and relevant. Understanding your customer’s ever-changing needs and wants is the only way to provide viable solutions. Understanding their entire customer journey and experience is the only way to find ways to remove friction and exploit areas for improvement. Understanding the intricacies of the ever-evolving financial environment and the related software tools is needed to expose areas of strengths, and weaknesses, and how to structure debt, deal with investors, raise capital, and best position your company to reach its objectives. In other words, if you think you know everything you need to know in business, the world will leave you behind. Admitting ignorance keeps inquisitive minds at the forefront of progress. 

To foolishly think you know everything keeps your level of knowledge exactly where it currently stands. Even life’s experiences that bring with them many lessons and wisdom will be lost on those who think they have the answers. Soon enough, the age-old mentality will creep into your organization and you’ll start to hear your associate say “We do it this way because that’s the way it has always been done.” As a business consultant, that is the most dysfunctional thing I can hear. People who question nothing perpetuate mediocrity and complacency while they comfortably nestle themselves in the status quo, improving nothing, gaining nothing, achieving nothing. The only way to break the cycle is to decide you need change, admit you don't know how or what to change, and then get to work figuring it out. The journey will teach you more than your initial question, inspire you to question more, and continually improve your business. 

Don’t be Stupid

It is amazing to me how stupid I was in previous times in my life. Being able to say that brings a lot of relief because I know I have improved. What a sad state of affairs I would be in if I was in the same intellectual place as I was yesterday. I often think back on my life and have to fight off feelings of embarrassment because of things I said or did when I thought I was right. How wrong I was. Admitting ignorance is the only path to improvement. It keeps your ego in check, it opens your eyes to infinite knowledge and makes you more compassionate. 

To think you know the answers may stroke your ego in a social or business situation. You may even look good to your boss or peers when you confidently stand your ground. However, at some point that house of cards will come crashing down. A good foundation, one that is sustainable throughout life, is made up of curiosity and humility. People who have a thirst for knowledge and progress are the change makers, the shapers, and the greatest leaders. 

Sources:

Harari, Yuval Noah. (2015). Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978–0–06–231611–0