The Art of Not Knowing
Read time: 5 minutes
Beyond Answers: How Uncertainty and Possible Beliefs lead to Creative Freedom
đź’ˇ Goal: Get comfortable with uncertainty and the joys of being a perpetual student of life.
Why It Matters
Believing you have all the answers is a trap. Overconfidence can be disastrous. Adam and Eve were cast out of paradise for seeking absolute knowledge. Not knowing was paradise.
The last person to supposedly know everything there was to know on Earth was British polymath Thomas Young who died in 1829. For almost 200 years no person could have possibly known all there is to know.
Maybe you have heard this story.
A scientist was explaining the orbit of the Earth when someone in the crowd loudly disagreed - "That's just wrong, the Earth sits on a giant turtle."
Amused, the scientist thought for a moment and then asked what the turtle was sitting on.
The person replied with confidence - "You can't fool me, it's turtles, turtles all the way down."
The story is often used to talk about the mysteries of the universe and the unknowns in science but there are unknowns everywhere, everyday.
Turtles all the way down.
The Resistor
There is no right answer 🤔
It feels good to be right. It feels good to have the right answer. School taught you that having the right answer was all that mattered.
Most people stop the journey of questioning early.
But school was wrong. There are no right answers. What matters is finding the the right question or series of questions that will perpetuate a lifelong experience of discovery.
Embrace uncertainty. Celebrate questions.
A Signal Path
The new new.
One way to remember how little you know about the world is to learn something entirely new.
This week I have been learning to press my own T-Shirts. (They will be up for sale soon. )
There were so small things that I had no idea about. Plastisol ink. Illustrator exports. I spent hours on YouTube and TikTok and spoke to people who have done the work. I had to get a sellers permit with the state and spent time onboarding with a DTF (Direct to Film) printer called Supacolor.
I went to small shops in downtown LA and immersed myself in the space. Learning is everywhere. You just have to look and be willing to have a beginners mind.
Three Cats
Learn more about the three cats ​here​.
âś… Idea: The margin for error is wide
🔺 Process: Question the structure
🔹 Result: The quest is no longer an imposition
Switch to Action
Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door.
— Emily Dickinson
1. Acknowledge the Trap:
- Action: Regularly remind yourself that nobody has all the answers, including you. Keep a journal to record moments of learning and discovery, emphasizing that the journey of understanding is ongoing.
2. Turtles All The Way Down:
- Action: Adopt the habit of asking “why” and “how” more often. Every question should lead to another, nurturing a mindset of curiosity.
3. Embrace the Unknown
- Action: Choose a topic or belief you’re confident about. Challenge it, research it, explore differing perspectives to expand your understanding.
Go Deeper
A great framework for questions.
(I love number one: How can music change people’s lives?)
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Looking for other ways to be nurture your curiosity? Try the Resiliter Creative Cards