The wise man knows he doesn’t know. The fool doesn’t know he doesn’t know. – Lao Tzu, author of Tao Te Ching

Why is “I don’t know” so hard to say? – Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, authors of Freakonomics

Sometimes we answer questions we don’t really know the answers to.  Or we are embarrassed not to know the answer.  Maybe we just answer because we want to please someone.  Or we don’t want to look weak.

I really think there’s nothing wrong with saying you don’t know the answer to something.  Because then you’re believed.  And then when you do give an answer, you’ll be trusted.  We shouldn’t worry about looking foolish.  There’s no shame in not knowing something.  Everybody knows something.  We can’t know everything.  But we can look things up.

Go back and read the quotes again.  Without meaning to be dramatic, they can be game-changers.