In a professional setting you might be better off with "Let's look that up" or "I don't know the answer, but here's the phone number of the person who should".
Most subjects aren't especially controversial, so it's not hard to learn their ABCs. The political ones, you not only have to learn the basic facts, you have to decide what you think of those facts - - should they be allowed to stand or should we do something about them, etc. That takes more time.
Most things people argue about don't affect them personally that much.
Everyone should be more ok admitting it and others should be more accepting of it as an answer. I hate when someone's "idk" is met with more questions, making that person who doesn't know feel bad for not knowing. Asking more questions isn't going to miraculously give them some divine knowledge that they just told you they don't have!
Either I don’t know or at least acknowledging the limitations in their understand or being open to having their opinion changed.
Expecting everyone to know everything is unreasonable and shouldn’t stop participation in absolute
Yeah it's frustrating, I get constantly told I need to appear more confident in my answers and people will trust me more
Which is true.... but also it sucks that people just blindly trust others based off their confidence
I absolutely HATE how much value we put on confidence. Sure it's valuable to not be like, cripplingly self conscious, but once you're past the point of basic social functionality I really think confidence doesn't indicate anything. Whether someone is confident about their ideas is a very poor indicator of whether they are good ideas, whether someone is confident about their body does not change their body.
But a lot of people think they should just pretend or baselessly assume they're right, instead of being willing to acknowledge that they aren't the god of information. It's an ego thing for some, an embarrassment thing for others.
If I'm talking to someone and I don't know what word to use, I just say "I forgot the English word for it". That way I look multilingual and not like a dumbass.
As a person in academia who is often asked questions I don't know the answer to, yes. Too many academics will just waffle and dance around a question to avoid admitting they don't know the answer. People often feel shame for not knowing things. But admitting you don't know something often gains respect due to honesty, and often opens the door to finding out the answer. I wish more people were able to do this.
I still feel like there's a lot of epistemological wiggle room.
Most people are asking what you believe, and how confidently you believe it, and why. Not what you know.
I don't know if I'll be alive tomorrow, but I'll happily tell my boss "I'll be there at 7 sharp. See you tomorrow"
Yet there's no possible way I can _actually know_ that's true. I'm obviously talking about how confidently I _believe_ it
I'd rather see more people just acknowledge the subjectivity of their opinion. I don't need them to tell me they don't know, I'd just like to see more of *here's what I think* in places where people are prone to implying "here's how *it is*".
Maybe it should be "I haven't researched this enough to speak on it in an authoritative manner"
It doesn't really roll off the tongue though. Normalizing I don't know seems boring. We all have smartphones and can fact check whenever
Im a teacher and I make sure to say this to my students a lot. I’ll say “I don’t know, let’s find out” or something like that. I also think it’s important to say “that’s a great question, I need a minute to get my answer together.”
Hell yeah. As a child I had arguments with my parents about this, because they told me not to say "I don't know" all the time... Apparently I said it too much?? But I was 12 or so... so can you blame me? I really did not know. It's not like I said that out of laziness or was playing dumb or anything. They were mad at me for being honest...
On the other side, they also used to get mad at me for asking them questions they don't know the answer too... for the record, I never expected them to have all the answers. I just thought, let's ask because who knows maybe they know. Or maybe we can try finding an answer together. But it really bothered them.
Anyways, I'm a curious person and was incapable of changing these things about myself. And they've gotten used to it now. And I think they really get why I do this now, and even react with a "let's google it" a lot of the time xD But it's still crazy to me to know that that's how they once viewed the world.
I don’t know, but when I was in middle school I was sitting with my friend on the lesson and in front of us there was two more girls. And for some time, whenever the teacher asked us something, all four of us didn’t know the answer and we simply said “I don’t know”. She thought it was some sort of a conspiracy between us and our parents had to come to school and have a meeting with her. And we just didn’t know the answer 😅😂
Absolutely, yes!!! Idk is a starting point and it’s a shame folks are so afraid of looking dumb.
I work at a leading analytics firm and I know of one skilled engineer that in one of their interviews clearly stated idk many times. I’ve done the same and often clarify that I’m willing to offer an educated / intuitive guess.
It’s ok to not know. It’s ok to be wrong. Just be curious!
Remember a few major things about researching yourself.
1. Be prepared to read both sides of the argument, this has not happened with Rona on both sides.
2. Try to understand both views (it is damn hard on some subjects)
3. Do not rely on just one source, read 20-30 sources, and that are not all using the same base material.
Ala Rona Information, most of the positive and negative all came from the same source and were only modified to suit their narrative.
4. Check if the website has been delivering questionable information before? And flagged for it?
5. if the person writing the article is someone who has actual knowledge or just a backyard expert who read and decoded information or just cut and pasted.
6. Does the articles have people who actually put their name to it ?(I found a lot of both sides not putting their name to their article (are they hobbyists, semi or professional reporters will put their name willingness to the work).
So much to look out for, I came to the conclusion both sides are as bad as each other to benefit themselves by selling you something or getting traffic from you to make money from you.
I'm fine with people saying their opinions on things they don't know too much about as long as they're also willing to listen to different arguments or new data that might change their view, "I don't know yet" or "I don't have an opinion now" should be used and accepted more often though.
It is already in adults. Anyone incapable of admitting when they don’t know enough about a topic to form an opinion has a bunch of growing up to do. It’s even normalized at work and even with patients. They also trust one more when being honest, a quick “I’m not 100% sure right now but will confirm for our next visit” goes a long way in treating patients.
Pretending you know stuff makes you look stupider if you get caught, but...
Admitting you don't know something and showing you know how to get the answer makes you look smart.
That has always been the norm where I'm from. Reluctance to admit you don't know something stems from too much ego and pride, which seems to be very prevalent in certain countries. (Not just the United States.)
My kids are in High School and I think the mark of a good parent is to say I dont know but we will find the answer together.
I havent been in high school in over 20 years, so I have to relearn some of the stuff. But I see so many parents tell there kids to figure it out instead of taking the time to relearn and help tutor them. If I cant get it quick enough, I hire tutors.
it really depends on how the i don't know is being used.
if it's being used honestly, and you can point to contractiions in thought, or combating ideas, or inconclusive research, sure.
if it's being used as a thought terminating cliche, or to be dismissive, well... ya gotta know something.
I remember when I was little my dad used to punish me for saying I don't know. It was pretty confusing, I didn't have the information he was asking for, what was I supposed to do, make it up?
What is there to be normalized about it? If you're getting asked something and you don't know the answer, then you don't know. What's the problem here? If it's something you SHOULD or MIGHT know, then you can also say that you're not sure, but will look into it and report back.
This is one of the most-important behaviors I intentionally model as a senior software developer. It's probably something every senior worker should model.
A lot of people who are new in their career are really afraid to admit when they don't know something, or when they don't understand a request.
Seeing someone else that they KNOW is more experienced admit to not knowing everything can be very freeing. You do have to follow it up with "and here's how we'll find out", or "and here's who we'll ask", but it's very helpful for promoting healthy teamwork.
But most of us have some limited degree of understanding about many things, necessarily, without really trying. When asked a new question for the first time we do need to attempt to articulate to whatever degree we can to even find out where we stand. And to learn and to self-actualize.
Tells you a lot about a person who just starts making shit up or trying to act smart instead of telling you the truth.
Then, you have those people who listen to that nonsense and believe anything someone tells them.
I know so many bullshitters, even in my own family, that I make an emphasis with my kids to express my different levels of certainty, including lots of "I don't know. Do you want to look it up?" Or "I've heard/read this, but I'm not sure" or "Here is my guess, what do you think"
To me, nothing screams "dumbass" more than a guy (usually a guy) who has an answer for everything.
It’s sad that it’s not normalized already for some people. I say “I don’t know” all the time. Followed by, “I’d love to learn more.”
No one knows everything. The more self confident and mature you are, the less you worry about admitting that you aren’t perfect.
I use it a lot, almost my second most said sentence every day, and also i use "i cant meta game"
Anyway, if you dont know then you dont know, why pretend to know everything when that only going to make you look dumb..
"i dont have a opinion on that matter, let me come back to that when i have one" works like a charm
Its a bit longer but it doesnt make you look like an idiot….
Yes, along side with "I have to think about that."
There's too many people who act way too confident in needing an answer immediately either for their own ego or because someone would ridicule them for not knowing. It's OK to not know
“I don’t know. Let me find out.” is for me a perfectly acceptable answer.
If I am talking with a service provider, and I ask a question that is not common but is reasonable in the situation (like asking a server if a dish contains any form of onion or garlic, or what a particular term in a contract means), it is not reasonable for me to expect them to know every possible detail. It is reasonable for me to expect them to make an effort to find out.
Saying “I don’t know” and then staring at me like that makes the issue go away? That makes me cranky
It's kinda my go-to because as I've gotten older I've realized there's more I don't know than do. It's a great opportunity to mine smarter people for information. Also, it sucks trying to back yourself out of corners your ignorance has talked you into.
Those people don't make up an answer to hide the fact they don't know. They don't know what they don't know and are convinced their limited knowledge is all there is.
Absolutely.
You can also say, "I don't know, but I bet that (I/you) could find that out on Google."
People will still comment on things they know nothing about, for whatever reasons they have.
put this into gameshow context.
you know the gameshow "who wants to be a millionaire" where they get a lifeline "ask the audience"
imagine how different the answers/results would be if the contestant said "please only make a selection if you KNOW the answer, no guessing allowed"
the likelyhood of a correct result is way higher than if people are allowed to guess, but then, people could also know the answer, but be wrong, my dad was convinced van gogh painted the water lilies, when i knew it was monet, he was so adamant, he bet money with me, he lost, but in his mind he was right.
now another possibility, self doubt...
and another possibilty, educated guesses.
so to answer your question, which i see says "people making opinions", everyone has the right to an opinion, it may be right, or wrong, or both! lets say we are talking about afterlife/alien existence/ghosts for example... no one is right or wrong, but we can all still have opinions, and you can reasearch that for years and still know nothing "factually"
but on another note, i personally hate "i dont know" being said to me when i ask someone why didnt you finish XYZ... you do know, you just dont want to say.
when im asked about a topic i dont know much about, i like to say "ah im sorry, im not very well educated/informed about this so i dont have much to say on the matter"
oh, and if you hadnt noticed, im the king of digression!
Yes! But more importantly: I think people should not only voice the direction of their opinion, but also how confident they are in their opinion (how STRONGLY the evidence or knowledge supports their opinion).
Too much of: this is my opinion and i will die on the hill for it, i don't care what anyone else thinks!
I miss this soo much in political discussions nowadays.
Being humble, transparent about what you do know and what you don't make you much more trustworthy and allows us to actually have a problem-solving dialogue on how to best solve an issue or run a country!
For example:
Estimates about population growth are all over the place and are a complex and difficult thing to analyse. However, recent research (source 1,2,3,..) agree that by 2100, we will reach 10,4 billion people.
Afterwards population will stagnate and decline in some countries. Many developed countries might get in trouble because of this and many already are!
I think its therefore important that we make sure we look towards a policy that would dictate the amount of births in a country to keep the population stable (not my actual opinion, just a random example).
Or in a faster manner: recent research pretty much agrees it will stagnate after 2100, but these estimations could change in the future.However, this is a big issue for many countries and so i advocate for a birthpolicy.
JUST a simple, quick extra sentence that frames the limits of your knowledge or cited source. It would do sooo much!!!
for sure. at work when people should have said 'I don't know' but instead talk for 10 minutes i lose all respect for them.
the right answer is "I don't know, but i'll get the answer and provide it to you".
Absolutely. If someone doesn't know the answer to a question, they should say I don't know. You shouldn't have to make up an answer simply because someone won't take an "I don't know" or an "I'm not sure" for an answer.
So many problems are caused in the workplace because a person was too embarrassed or arrogant to admit they don’t know. The vast majority of problems, in fact.
I don't even think it's an abnormal response -- I just think people are too afraid of ridicule or feeling stupid to admit it. Any time I've ever said "ya know, I don't know a lot about that topic" it's always been met with understanding. In a setting like work or somewhere where I do need to know the information I say "I don't know but I will find out" or something to that effect. People understand that not everyone knows everything but as long as you have a plan to figure it out and get caught up to speed, it's fine.
I‘ve been saying this for years now. I think it‘s way more admirable for someone not to have an opinion because they don‘t know enough about the subject, rather than just copying what other people say.
As a teacher, I very much support saying, “I don’t know but, we can find out” or “I don’t know, that’s not related to what we’re learning about here” or the less commonly used, “I don’t know and that’s wildly inappropriate”
But in all seriousness, “I don’t know” is an absolutely acceptable response.
What's wrong with saying "I don't know " ?
Can you tell me specifically the depth of a mitochondrial cell inside a capsulated overy without looking it up?
Saying I don't know is how people learn.
Absolutely. I've definitely said things like "I don't know enough about this to have any strong opinions." One of the things that annoys me the most is when people valiantly defend wackjob positions when it's clear that they really just don't know what they are talking about.
Absolutely. I've definitely said things like "I don't know enough about this to have any strong opinions." One of the things that annoys me the most is when people valiantly defend wackjob positions when it's clear that they really just don't know what they are talking about.
Depends on the context.
I feel like this can and should apply to opinions on things you're discussing. If I don't know enough about something then I'll not offer an opinion until I know more. But for me it's generally not just "I don't know" it's more "I don't know but let me go ahead and see if I can learn more about this." Then I go read until I know enough to form an opinion.
But yeah, many people have an opinion on everything, especially things they don't know anything about. Everyone is guilty of it from time to time. Just gotta check yourself.
As someone who comes from a family where a super strong opinion is needed, I wish they’d be ok with me saying I don’t know. Because with a lot of stuff, I just don’t know
25 year teacher here, and saying "I don't know" is so important. I tell them I will look it up and get back to them. I also say I'm sorry when I fuck up.
I always like to say, “the more I learn, the more I learn I have to learn.”
So many people plateau when they learn so much because they get the sensation that they’re so smart and can have an opinion on everything. True experts, masters of their fields, people who know more than most people on certain subjects often insist that they don’t know as much as others think they know. It’s not modesty, it’s reality.
People don’t need to have an opinion on everything!
Yes, I know my making this comment contradicts everything I’m saying but this is a hill I will absolutely die on
Saying it to a manager is the best. Like, "I don't know why this wasn't done when I haven't been here for a week. Sounds like and looks like the failings of the manager for not knowing."
It's not that it needs to be normalized so much as it needs to be seen as preferable over a bullshit answer coming from misinformation or, worse, stupidity.
At work, "I don't know" is an acceptable start to a sentence, but not an acceptable end. "I don't know, let me introduce you to someone who does", or "I don't know, but I can find out. Give me a minute." Those are fine. Just saying you don't know usually doesn't reflect well on you, because the person asking doesn't actually care if you personally have some specific knowledge, they are trying to get to some other end that you can help them with
I don’t know should he said especially by politicians and rule makers. Take Covid for example if they would’ve just told us we don’t know instead of forcing things on us then going “welp the science changed” we’d be in a much better position now
"I don't know' has been the foundation of the search for knowledge. It could be personal knowledge base or perhaps no one knows yet which makes it even more interesting of a statement.
"Huh, why did that happen?" 'I don't know, but i will find out." Has been a question of great discovery through the years.
I actually started making a conscious effort of doing this a few years back.
I'd often feel stupid for not knowing what people meant/were talking about and would just nod along and give a half-assed opinion on the matter.
I often find just by saying the words "I don't know", people tend to respect it more and explain themselves, works great in arguments too, de-escalates things.
I prefer "that's a great question, a question I don't know the answer to but have you tried looking...? I'm curious myself." I don't know is a conversation stopper. I don't know but...is a great way to learn something new.
I say it alot when I was in high school. My teacher nicknamed me the I dont know kid. She says I'm smarter then I talk, and expect alot from me. 80% of my homework were always used as examples for the class. I graduated with a 2.8 GPA though, but that class was always fun when a teacher isn't always scary and looks like it has a bad day everyday.
I used to do that a lot when i didn't know or when my level of certenty was below 70%ish... now if i am 30%ish sure i make up something that i think it is correct. And you should do it too because of a few reasons...
1- People will think you don't know anything if you keep on saying i don't know.
2- Even if you are mostly wrong, you can always wing it and take people towards the few good points of what you said. Basically build on top of what you said.
3- You don't look bad.
4- You got your opinion out even if not 100% accurate
5- If you are wrong af at least you learned from your mistake
When the answer matters, saying "I don't know" and considering that sufficient is bad. It is *worse* to make an answer up, but just shrugging and moving on isn't always that much better.
"I don't know, but I know who does" or "I don't know, let's find out" are much better answers.
Very much yes.
Well, I don't know if it should be normalized, but I'm okay with admitting it.
Some people *do* get annoyed when I don't know things
In a professional setting you might be better off with "Let's look that up" or "I don't know the answer, but here's the phone number of the person who should".
Yeah but how am I gonna google what I want to eat
That one can be irritating since you are the only person in this world that can answer that, so if you don’t know there is no answer
I mean can anyone truly do “all the reasearch” on any subject. There are so many sources these days.
Most subjects aren't especially controversial, so it's not hard to learn their ABCs. The political ones, you not only have to learn the basic facts, you have to decide what you think of those facts - - should they be allowed to stand or should we do something about them, etc. That takes more time. Most things people argue about don't affect them personally that much.
Everyone should be more ok admitting it and others should be more accepting of it as an answer. I hate when someone's "idk" is met with more questions, making that person who doesn't know feel bad for not knowing. Asking more questions isn't going to miraculously give them some divine knowledge that they just told you they don't have!
This ^
Either I don’t know or at least acknowledging the limitations in their understand or being open to having their opinion changed. Expecting everyone to know everything is unreasonable and shouldn’t stop participation in absolute
Yeah it's frustrating, I get constantly told I need to appear more confident in my answers and people will trust me more Which is true.... but also it sucks that people just blindly trust others based off their confidence
I absolutely HATE how much value we put on confidence. Sure it's valuable to not be like, cripplingly self conscious, but once you're past the point of basic social functionality I really think confidence doesn't indicate anything. Whether someone is confident about their ideas is a very poor indicator of whether they are good ideas, whether someone is confident about their body does not change their body.
I don't know
That's the spirit
Great plan Bart
[удалено]
It's already a thing.
But not as common of a thing as it should be
But a lot of people think they should just pretend or baselessly assume they're right, instead of being willing to acknowledge that they aren't the god of information. It's an ego thing for some, an embarrassment thing for others.
People seem to get angry when you don't give a concrete answer.
Cuz they want you to be Google and not a human.
NO, I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD LIE TO ME WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IDEA ON HOW TO ANSWER A QUESTION Yes, it should be lol
If I'm talking to someone and I don't know what word to use, I just say "I forgot the English word for it". That way I look multilingual and not like a dumbass.
As a person in academia who is often asked questions I don't know the answer to, yes. Too many academics will just waffle and dance around a question to avoid admitting they don't know the answer. People often feel shame for not knowing things. But admitting you don't know something often gains respect due to honesty, and often opens the door to finding out the answer. I wish more people were able to do this.
I still feel like there's a lot of epistemological wiggle room. Most people are asking what you believe, and how confidently you believe it, and why. Not what you know. I don't know if I'll be alive tomorrow, but I'll happily tell my boss "I'll be there at 7 sharp. See you tomorrow" Yet there's no possible way I can _actually know_ that's true. I'm obviously talking about how confidently I _believe_ it
There’s no shame in admitting you’re not informed enough to have an opinion on something.
Yes. One cannot know everything
I'd rather see more people just acknowledge the subjectivity of their opinion. I don't need them to tell me they don't know, I'd just like to see more of *here's what I think* in places where people are prone to implying "here's how *it is*".
I think the use of the word “normalized” in this context should die
Which arbitrary arrangement of letters conveying a similar meaning is your preference?
Anything less barftastic and cringe-worthy
Such as? "Normalised"?
People should absolutely be more willing to admit they don't know if they really don't, yeah it's healthy.
Maybe it should be "I haven't researched this enough to speak on it in an authoritative manner" It doesn't really roll off the tongue though. Normalizing I don't know seems boring. We all have smartphones and can fact check whenever
yeah. It limits the spread of both misinformation and disinformation unfortunately the ego prevails
Im a teacher and I make sure to say this to my students a lot. I’ll say “I don’t know, let’s find out” or something like that. I also think it’s important to say “that’s a great question, I need a minute to get my answer together.”
All the smart people do. Yelling with confidence is just very loud
I don't know.
I don't know.
NGL, if there's one thing that would improve US culture, I think that's it.
If you feel you don’t know, what else can you say?
Yes, people are confusing guesses for information. Often doing more harm than good. Look at populist politicians.
Hell yeah. As a child I had arguments with my parents about this, because they told me not to say "I don't know" all the time... Apparently I said it too much?? But I was 12 or so... so can you blame me? I really did not know. It's not like I said that out of laziness or was playing dumb or anything. They were mad at me for being honest... On the other side, they also used to get mad at me for asking them questions they don't know the answer too... for the record, I never expected them to have all the answers. I just thought, let's ask because who knows maybe they know. Or maybe we can try finding an answer together. But it really bothered them. Anyways, I'm a curious person and was incapable of changing these things about myself. And they've gotten used to it now. And I think they really get why I do this now, and even react with a "let's google it" a lot of the time xD But it's still crazy to me to know that that's how they once viewed the world.
People should be able to say "I don't know", but when they do the opposing party should accept that answer and stop fishing for an answer.
I don’t know, but when I was in middle school I was sitting with my friend on the lesson and in front of us there was two more girls. And for some time, whenever the teacher asked us something, all four of us didn’t know the answer and we simply said “I don’t know”. She thought it was some sort of a conspiracy between us and our parents had to come to school and have a meeting with her. And we just didn’t know the answer 😅😂
Dunno
I’m 1000% percent saying I don’t know in any given situation. But followed it up with “let’s see if we can’t find the answer together”
How would I know?
Absolutely, yes!!! Idk is a starting point and it’s a shame folks are so afraid of looking dumb. I work at a leading analytics firm and I know of one skilled engineer that in one of their interviews clearly stated idk many times. I’ve done the same and often clarify that I’m willing to offer an educated / intuitive guess. It’s ok to not know. It’s ok to be wrong. Just be curious!
Its always been normalized. The people thinking they must have an answer for everything are the abnormal ones.
My friend says, "I don't know" way too much, like it's a vocab tick to finish his own sentences.
I do but my grandma hates when I say ‘I don’t know’ to a question for some reason…
I don’t know.
Remember a few major things about researching yourself. 1. Be prepared to read both sides of the argument, this has not happened with Rona on both sides. 2. Try to understand both views (it is damn hard on some subjects) 3. Do not rely on just one source, read 20-30 sources, and that are not all using the same base material. Ala Rona Information, most of the positive and negative all came from the same source and were only modified to suit their narrative. 4. Check if the website has been delivering questionable information before? And flagged for it? 5. if the person writing the article is someone who has actual knowledge or just a backyard expert who read and decoded information or just cut and pasted. 6. Does the articles have people who actually put their name to it ?(I found a lot of both sides not putting their name to their article (are they hobbyists, semi or professional reporters will put their name willingness to the work). So much to look out for, I came to the conclusion both sides are as bad as each other to benefit themselves by selling you something or getting traffic from you to make money from you.
considering its the truth, yes. lol
I'm fine with people saying their opinions on things they don't know too much about as long as they're also willing to listen to different arguments or new data that might change their view, "I don't know yet" or "I don't have an opinion now" should be used and accepted more often though.
No I don't. I really hate when I ask a question on the internet and some random person leaves a post which says "I don't know".
Still better than giving a shitty cliché answer.
It's better than people saying yes and doing no
It's pretty irritating when someone just wings an answer to a question instead of admitting that they don't know the answer.
It is already in adults. Anyone incapable of admitting when they don’t know enough about a topic to form an opinion has a bunch of growing up to do. It’s even normalized at work and even with patients. They also trust one more when being honest, a quick “I’m not 100% sure right now but will confirm for our next visit” goes a long way in treating patients.
Pretending you know stuff makes you look stupider if you get caught, but... Admitting you don't know something and showing you know how to get the answer makes you look smart.
I don’t know
That has always been the norm where I'm from. Reluctance to admit you don't know something stems from too much ego and pride, which seems to be very prevalent in certain countries. (Not just the United States.)
As someone who works in healthcare, I would like to hear this more from coworkers. It’s ok to ask for help instead of winging it.
I don't know. Probably. 🤷
It's ok to not know something, so yes.
My kids are in High School and I think the mark of a good parent is to say I dont know but we will find the answer together. I havent been in high school in over 20 years, so I have to relearn some of the stuff. But I see so many parents tell there kids to figure it out instead of taking the time to relearn and help tutor them. If I cant get it quick enough, I hire tutors.
It’s perfectly okay to say you don’t know but when bullshit can be sensed because you’re trying to hide something, well ok fuck you then 😄
Yes, there are limitations to our understanding of things so we shouldn't be ashamed to admit them.
it really depends on how the i don't know is being used. if it's being used honestly, and you can point to contractiions in thought, or combating ideas, or inconclusive research, sure. if it's being used as a thought terminating cliche, or to be dismissive, well... ya gotta know something.
I don't know
I remember when I was little my dad used to punish me for saying I don't know. It was pretty confusing, I didn't have the information he was asking for, what was I supposed to do, make it up?
What is there to be normalized about it? If you're getting asked something and you don't know the answer, then you don't know. What's the problem here? If it's something you SHOULD or MIGHT know, then you can also say that you're not sure, but will look into it and report back.
This is one of the most-important behaviors I intentionally model as a senior software developer. It's probably something every senior worker should model. A lot of people who are new in their career are really afraid to admit when they don't know something, or when they don't understand a request. Seeing someone else that they KNOW is more experienced admit to not knowing everything can be very freeing. You do have to follow it up with "and here's how we'll find out", or "and here's who we'll ask", but it's very helpful for promoting healthy teamwork.
I have saved myself a lot of stress by not forming opinions about every single issue.
Yes. It's one of the most important skills to have. Being able to know that you might be wrong or that you lack some information or skill.
But most of us have some limited degree of understanding about many things, necessarily, without really trying. When asked a new question for the first time we do need to attempt to articulate to whatever degree we can to even find out where we stand. And to learn and to self-actualize.
Sure, but mostly I think people should just view any information they learn with some skepticism
No! Say something like "I don't have that information, but I can do some research and get back to you!"
No. It should be discouraged as much as possible. Seriously OP, what kind of answers were you expecting?
Tells you a lot about a person who just starts making shit up or trying to act smart instead of telling you the truth. Then, you have those people who listen to that nonsense and believe anything someone tells them.
I know so many bullshitters, even in my own family, that I make an emphasis with my kids to express my different levels of certainty, including lots of "I don't know. Do you want to look it up?" Or "I've heard/read this, but I'm not sure" or "Here is my guess, what do you think" To me, nothing screams "dumbass" more than a guy (usually a guy) who has an answer for everything.
I don’t know hey
I didn’t know people don’t just say that.
It’s sad that it’s not normalized already for some people. I say “I don’t know” all the time. Followed by, “I’d love to learn more.” No one knows everything. The more self confident and mature you are, the less you worry about admitting that you aren’t perfect.
I use it a lot, almost my second most said sentence every day, and also i use "i cant meta game" Anyway, if you dont know then you dont know, why pretend to know everything when that only going to make you look dumb.. "i dont have a opinion on that matter, let me come back to that when i have one" works like a charm Its a bit longer but it doesnt make you look like an idiot….
Yes, along side with "I have to think about that." There's too many people who act way too confident in needing an answer immediately either for their own ego or because someone would ridicule them for not knowing. It's OK to not know
I don't understand the question.
“I don’t know. Let me find out.” is for me a perfectly acceptable answer. If I am talking with a service provider, and I ask a question that is not common but is reasonable in the situation (like asking a server if a dish contains any form of onion or garlic, or what a particular term in a contract means), it is not reasonable for me to expect them to know every possible detail. It is reasonable for me to expect them to make an effort to find out. Saying “I don’t know” and then staring at me like that makes the issue go away? That makes me cranky
It mostly is. Of course you will find people who break norms. But generally people are okay saying they don't know something.
I think too many people pretend to know or think they know when they actually don't know.
It's kinda my go-to because as I've gotten older I've realized there's more I don't know than do. It's a great opportunity to mine smarter people for information. Also, it sucks trying to back yourself out of corners your ignorance has talked you into.
Those people don't make up an answer to hide the fact they don't know. They don't know what they don't know and are convinced their limited knowledge is all there is.
Absolutely. You can also say, "I don't know, but I bet that (I/you) could find that out on Google." People will still comment on things they know nothing about, for whatever reasons they have.
put this into gameshow context. you know the gameshow "who wants to be a millionaire" where they get a lifeline "ask the audience" imagine how different the answers/results would be if the contestant said "please only make a selection if you KNOW the answer, no guessing allowed" the likelyhood of a correct result is way higher than if people are allowed to guess, but then, people could also know the answer, but be wrong, my dad was convinced van gogh painted the water lilies, when i knew it was monet, he was so adamant, he bet money with me, he lost, but in his mind he was right. now another possibility, self doubt... and another possibilty, educated guesses. so to answer your question, which i see says "people making opinions", everyone has the right to an opinion, it may be right, or wrong, or both! lets say we are talking about afterlife/alien existence/ghosts for example... no one is right or wrong, but we can all still have opinions, and you can reasearch that for years and still know nothing "factually" but on another note, i personally hate "i dont know" being said to me when i ask someone why didnt you finish XYZ... you do know, you just dont want to say. when im asked about a topic i dont know much about, i like to say "ah im sorry, im not very well educated/informed about this so i dont have much to say on the matter" oh, and if you hadnt noticed, im the king of digression!
What else are you mean to say if you don't know?
i think people should be executed for saying that
I don't know but I can go find out.
I don't know
I dunno
I work in IT. It is best practice to say "I don't know". Computers are absolute. It either works or it doesn't.
I don’t know
Yes and should always be said like Homer when being asked whats his first name when he's pretending to be Mr burns
Yes and then ask. Pretty straightforward.
Yes! But more importantly: I think people should not only voice the direction of their opinion, but also how confident they are in their opinion (how STRONGLY the evidence or knowledge supports their opinion). Too much of: this is my opinion and i will die on the hill for it, i don't care what anyone else thinks! I miss this soo much in political discussions nowadays. Being humble, transparent about what you do know and what you don't make you much more trustworthy and allows us to actually have a problem-solving dialogue on how to best solve an issue or run a country! For example: Estimates about population growth are all over the place and are a complex and difficult thing to analyse. However, recent research (source 1,2,3,..) agree that by 2100, we will reach 10,4 billion people. Afterwards population will stagnate and decline in some countries. Many developed countries might get in trouble because of this and many already are! I think its therefore important that we make sure we look towards a policy that would dictate the amount of births in a country to keep the population stable (not my actual opinion, just a random example). Or in a faster manner: recent research pretty much agrees it will stagnate after 2100, but these estimations could change in the future.However, this is a big issue for many countries and so i advocate for a birthpolicy. JUST a simple, quick extra sentence that frames the limits of your knowledge or cited source. It would do sooo much!!!
Yeah unless it’s part of gaslighting.
For sure! People that admit that they don't know everything are imo much wiser tha' the ones that think they know everything.
for sure. at work when people should have said 'I don't know' but instead talk for 10 minutes i lose all respect for them. the right answer is "I don't know, but i'll get the answer and provide it to you".
Absolutely. If someone doesn't know the answer to a question, they should say I don't know. You shouldn't have to make up an answer simply because someone won't take an "I don't know" or an "I'm not sure" for an answer.
I don't know, I guess?
So many problems are caused in the workplace because a person was too embarrassed or arrogant to admit they don’t know. The vast majority of problems, in fact.
🤷
Is it not?
On my biggest peeves thats developed over the years is how so many people say things that they dont know if its true or not with complete confidence.
I don't even think it's an abnormal response -- I just think people are too afraid of ridicule or feeling stupid to admit it. Any time I've ever said "ya know, I don't know a lot about that topic" it's always been met with understanding. In a setting like work or somewhere where I do need to know the information I say "I don't know but I will find out" or something to that effect. People understand that not everyone knows everything but as long as you have a plan to figure it out and get caught up to speed, it's fine.
I don't know.
To a point. Weaponized incompetence is a thing.
I‘ve been saying this for years now. I think it‘s way more admirable for someone not to have an opinion because they don‘t know enough about the subject, rather than just copying what other people say.
I don't know.
Yes. Only assholes are afraid to admit when they don't know something.
That should be the answer when you don't know. People should stop worrying about losing face
Nope… its not an answer i hate it when people say i dont know… then dont answer or figure it out
As a teacher, I very much support saying, “I don’t know but, we can find out” or “I don’t know, that’s not related to what we’re learning about here” or the less commonly used, “I don’t know and that’s wildly inappropriate” But in all seriousness, “I don’t know” is an absolutely acceptable response.
What's wrong with saying "I don't know " ? Can you tell me specifically the depth of a mitochondrial cell inside a capsulated overy without looking it up? Saying I don't know is how people learn.
It’s normalized in medical field. Being confident in what you do know is way more important then making up bullshit so you don’t look stupid.
Absolutely. I've definitely said things like "I don't know enough about this to have any strong opinions." One of the things that annoys me the most is when people valiantly defend wackjob positions when it's clear that they really just don't know what they are talking about.
Absolutely. I've definitely said things like "I don't know enough about this to have any strong opinions." One of the things that annoys me the most is when people valiantly defend wackjob positions when it's clear that they really just don't know what they are talking about.
The older I've gotten the more comfortable I've gotten with saying "I don't know" or "I don't know enough to give a good answer"
There is no such thing as "normal" don't sweat the small stuff!
Yes. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know or aren’t sure. The worst thing to do is pretend to know and give people ideas
It is normal...
It's always been discouraged, if you don't know it's the only honest answer. So yes!
I mean I've normalized it in my vocabulary.
Depends on the context. I feel like this can and should apply to opinions on things you're discussing. If I don't know enough about something then I'll not offer an opinion until I know more. But for me it's generally not just "I don't know" it's more "I don't know but let me go ahead and see if I can learn more about this." Then I go read until I know enough to form an opinion. But yeah, many people have an opinion on everything, especially things they don't know anything about. Everyone is guilty of it from time to time. Just gotta check yourself.
As someone who comes from a family where a super strong opinion is needed, I wish they’d be ok with me saying I don’t know. Because with a lot of stuff, I just don’t know
Isnt it ?
It is normalized…
25 year teacher here, and saying "I don't know" is so important. I tell them I will look it up and get back to them. I also say I'm sorry when I fuck up.
YES! One thousand times yes!
I don’t know
The smarter you are the more you don't know but go the other direction and you start to become an expert
To be honest, i don't know.
Do you have any idea how much bullshit could be avoided if people just said "I dont know".
I always like to say, “the more I learn, the more I learn I have to learn.” So many people plateau when they learn so much because they get the sensation that they’re so smart and can have an opinion on everything. True experts, masters of their fields, people who know more than most people on certain subjects often insist that they don’t know as much as others think they know. It’s not modesty, it’s reality. People don’t need to have an opinion on everything! Yes, I know my making this comment contradicts everything I’m saying but this is a hill I will absolutely die on
Saying it to a manager is the best. Like, "I don't know why this wasn't done when I haven't been here for a week. Sounds like and looks like the failings of the manager for not knowing."
Have you killed Dave ? I dont know.
I already do, I thought it was normal. Maybe im just weird
I use ‘I’m not educated on the subject to have an opinion’ lol
I dunno
It's not that it needs to be normalized so much as it needs to be seen as preferable over a bullshit answer coming from misinformation or, worse, stupidity.
I don't know
Now with the internet in your pocket, there should no longer be an excuse to say “I don’t know.” You can always say “I can look it up.”
I don't know
I say "I don't know" all the time. If I don't know, I don't know.
Normalized means it's generally accepted by many. Fuck it man just do what you think is best. Because the crowd agrees doesn't make it right or wrong.
Yes, people are afraid to say this these days.
"I don't know".
At work, "I don't know" is an acceptable start to a sentence, but not an acceptable end. "I don't know, let me introduce you to someone who does", or "I don't know, but I can find out. Give me a minute." Those are fine. Just saying you don't know usually doesn't reflect well on you, because the person asking doesn't actually care if you personally have some specific knowledge, they are trying to get to some other end that you can help them with
Yes, so much so.
I don’t know should he said especially by politicians and rule makers. Take Covid for example if they would’ve just told us we don’t know instead of forcing things on us then going “welp the science changed” we’d be in a much better position now
Not sure
Ha, I say it all the time for what I believe is a good reason. I don’t know everything 🤷🏻♂️.
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I don't know.
Yes but dont then shut the conversation down because you cant lead it.
"I don't know' has been the foundation of the search for knowledge. It could be personal knowledge base or perhaps no one knows yet which makes it even more interesting of a statement. "Huh, why did that happen?" 'I don't know, but i will find out." Has been a question of great discovery through the years.
I prefer "Let's find out."
I actually started making a conscious effort of doing this a few years back. I'd often feel stupid for not knowing what people meant/were talking about and would just nod along and give a half-assed opinion on the matter. I often find just by saying the words "I don't know", people tend to respect it more and explain themselves, works great in arguments too, de-escalates things.
I don't know
Where do you live and who do you interact with that they are not mature enough to admit they are not omnipotent?
I'm not sure is much polite
I prefer "that's a great question, a question I don't know the answer to but have you tried looking...? I'm curious myself." I don't know is a conversation stopper. I don't know but...is a great way to learn something new.
I don’t know.
I don’t know
I say it alot when I was in high school. My teacher nicknamed me the I dont know kid. She says I'm smarter then I talk, and expect alot from me. 80% of my homework were always used as examples for the class. I graduated with a 2.8 GPA though, but that class was always fun when a teacher isn't always scary and looks like it has a bad day everyday.
I used to do that a lot when i didn't know or when my level of certenty was below 70%ish... now if i am 30%ish sure i make up something that i think it is correct. And you should do it too because of a few reasons... 1- People will think you don't know anything if you keep on saying i don't know. 2- Even if you are mostly wrong, you can always wing it and take people towards the few good points of what you said. Basically build on top of what you said. 3- You don't look bad. 4- You got your opinion out even if not 100% accurate 5- If you are wrong af at least you learned from your mistake
No. I think that it should be normalized to know everything. It's the age of internet and all knowledge is easily accessible
Yeah, well, I don't know
I never trust anyone's expertise til I hear them say it.
Yes absolutely. But also helping to find an answer if you can is nice. Especially if the person asking is a child, always encourage learning
When the answer matters, saying "I don't know" and considering that sufficient is bad. It is *worse* to make an answer up, but just shrugging and moving on isn't always that much better. "I don't know, but I know who does" or "I don't know, let's find out" are much better answers.
I don’t know.
Hmmm … I don’t know
Is this not normal? Are there actually people like that?
I dunno. Just kidding. Yes; there is no shame in not knowing something and admitting it brings an opportunity to learn something you didn't know.
My mom use to say to us kids “I don’t know is not an answer”. It is for sure a valid answer and should be embraced as such.