We are terrified of looking stupid. If someone asks about a topic we barely know, we nod, we bluff, we say "Oh yeah, I read an article about that." We fake omniscience.

For 24 hours, I answered every question I wasn't 100% sure about with one phrase:
I Don't Know.

> SCENARIO 1: THE POLITICS TALK

Friend: "What do you think about the new tax policy in Brazil?"
Normal Me: "Oh, it's complicated, unstable markets, you know..." (I know nothing about Brazil).
Experimental Me: "I don't know. I haven't read about it."

Result: Silence. Then... "Oh. Well, let me explain." The friend explained it. He felt smart. I learned something. Bluffing would have preserved my ego but blocked my learning.

> SCENARIO 2: THE WORK EXPERT

Boss: "Can we scale this Docker container to 5000 units?"
Normal Me: "Theoretically yes, if we optimize the kernel..." (Buzzwords).
Experimental Me: "I don't know. Let me check and get back to you."

Result: Boss looked surprised. "Okay, check it." Respect level actually went UP. Admitting ignorance showed confidence. Only insecure people fake it.

> THE EGO DEATH

EGO LEVEL

Saying "IDK" hurts physically at first. It feels like defeat. But after the 5th time, it feels like armor. You don't have to defend a position you don't hold. You don't have to remember your lies. You become bulletproof because you are transparent.

"The smartest person in the room is the one asking the questions, not the one faking the answers."

> CONCLUSION

We think people judge us for not knowing. They don't. They judge us for pretending to know and being wrong. "I Don't Know" is the door to "Now I Know." I'm going to use this phrase a lot more. It saves so much energy.