This Is Why Knowing Less Is More

The less you know, the better. There are countless things in life better left unknown, unseen, and undiscussed. “I don’t know” isn’t a bad phrase. Those three gut-wrenching words can mean admitting an advantage. A brag. Since, sometimes knowing less is knowing more. It goes against common intuition—we love knowing, having it all worked out, being in control, and hate not knowing and looking clueless or vulnerable—but I ask one thing of you: be open. This dictum can change your life.

Cliche Minimalism

You’ve probably heard the minimalistic adage of “less is more”, suggesting a lifestyle of simplicity to be advantageous. The minimalists toss it onto everything. Buying less translates to more space and cleanliness in the home. Doing less means more clarity and a quality-orientation for what matters most. Promising less implies flexibility and options. Having less options makes for better decisions. In a world of abundance, these people choose to abandon quantity for quality. That’s the thesis of minimalism.

And, you know, it’s hard to disagree. Less anxiety, debt, busywork, clutter, comparison, and sugar, more peace, savings, productivity, fulfillment, and vitamins. We have, in recent decades, accepted a life of idiotic consumerism and moronic expenditures isn’t a life of satisfaction and happiness. Those big houses, flashy cars, exotic vacations, showy watches, glittering necklaces, and extravagant Jetskis and jacuzzis don’t speak to us anymore. Society got over the endless-to-do, stuff-acquiring notion. Doesn’t seem that’s the case for knowledge.

“I Don’t Know” Is A Flex

Minimalists tick all the boxes except the intangible one. It’s weird. They have their math straight, formulae in front, but they’re missing half the answer. Less clutter and chaos in the home, more calm. Less clothing stashed in the wardrobe, more creativity from a carefully chosen collection of pieces. Less spending and being a slave to sales and trends, more saving towards a prosperous retirement. Less quantity, more quality. The American home has 300,000 items, it’s size has tripled in the last 50 years, and the Americans inside throw away 65 pounds of clothing per year, on average. But where’s “less knowledge, more understanding”?

Humans have a natural desire to create order where there is chaos. To understand that which is uncertain, to control that which isn’t governed, to guarantee that which is indefinite. But this can be disastrous. It’s one of the reasons errors get made time and time again. When it’s hard to admit we don’t know or aren’t capable—in an interview or when trying to impress someone or when trying not to appear unqualified—things can go very wrong. What’s more important than knowing is accepting that you don’t and going out there to find out.

Say Those Words

A lack of knowledge isn’t necessarily bad. It can be beneficial, and we all start at zero, discovering and experiencing facts over time. Once you admit to not knowing, you open yourself up to the opportunity of finding out. Most of the time, you’re not around evil people who are asking whether you know something just to throw you under the bus or make you appear stupid. They simply want to know if you know. That’s it. Wouldn’t it be sad to miss out on a great chance to learn solely because it gets those dumbass juices going in your brain? So that whole miasma of pretending you possess expertise you do not, it’s a waste of your time and energy. Stop.

When you build up the bravery to admit when you actually don’t know something, take it a step further. Maybe you do know. Don’t let them know. Sit back, relax, and listen to them explaining the topic. It wouldn’t be economical to constantly spew what you’re aware of. You already know what’s in your head. Why not listen and find out what lurks beneath the skulls of others? Seize the opportunity. Absorb. The greatest experts aren’t those who profess the known, but those who ask questions and explore the unknown. That’s how things are invented or whatever.

Upgrade Knowing

Knowing less is knowing more. It makes you humble enough to ask. It could spark a desire in you to find out. When you have the answers, nobody wants to hear them. When you hold the questions, everyone is eager to answer. Let people shine. Dig, explore, find out. Get hungry for solutions, thirsty for wisdom, ferocious for intelligence. Curious. The only way you can cultivate a craving for learning is by acknowledging you have learning to do. Say “I don’t know”. You squeeze more value out of those around when you aren’t leaking into everyone’s cup.

I profess you can take knowing, shift it into the powerful not knowing, and upgrade it once more. Think about school. It teaches a bunch of useless knowledge next to a couple vital skills—time management, critical thinking, logical reasoning. Maybe you don’t remember the organelles of a cell, and that’s a-okay. School just shows we can remember things, to build a storage of knowledge. This is why some of today’s most educated, most knowledgeable people say and do ridiculous things.

Don’t Know, Understand

And that is because many learners, even the smartest souls, skip the last step. Knowing is great. Thinking is a worthwhile endeavor—even if people rarely do. But knowing is not enough. You need to transform knowing into understanding. Who gives a damn about what mitochondria are if you don’t know they are the energy-producing powerhouses of the cell? Knowledge is power. But it becomes power only when you take it, slap some context onto it, and put it to use. Don’t learn to learn. Learn to use. Learn things that can enhance your life.

Final Comment

In the end, it’s often better to pull back and observe, to not know, despite how counterintuitive that may initially appear. It can be difficult to gain perspective—not to mention new knowledge—when you’re always in the thick of it, explaining and disseminating what you know, rather than understanding and absorbing what others know. Stay humble. Assume you don’t know. Discover the genius in others.