JORGE RODRIGUES SIMAO

Not so long ago I received a brochure advertising the annual conference for an international human resources foundation. The cover of the brochure announced, "BE A KNOW-IT-ALL! Here's how." The inside of the brochure promised, "Join our Foundation and see how easy it is to know-it-all." As I read this brochure, I wondered if these professionals - I use the term lightly – had contemplated the advantages of "not knowing it all".

Clearly, no one can ever know everything there is to know in any field although a lot of delusional know-it-alls think they do. Know-it-alls always think they have the expert answers to any problem. They will muscle you with facts and figures and will arrogantly pronounce their opinion on any issue at any time. Because they feel superior to others, know-it-alls will take it as a personal insult if you do not agree with them on every matter.

No doubt the person with all the answers is a know-it-all. Beyond that, however, he or she is a fool. Put another way, know-it-alls are not as bright as they think they are. Know-it-alls don't pay attention, they don't study or ponder, and they don't listen all that well. Why? Because they think that they already know it all. Sadly, others resist know-it-alls because know-it-alls leave little room for others' opinions and creativity.

Interestingly, the wise people of this world have never claimed that they were even close to knowing it all. Centuries ago the great Roman statesman and writer Cato the Elder pointed out, "Wise men learn more from fools than fools learn from wise men." Indeed, wise people can acquire aphoristic bits of wisdom from people much less talented and educated than they are. Unlike many intellectuals, wise people realize that, irrespective of how much they already know, there is always a whole lot more to learn in life.

The lesson here is that the key to learning new and wonderful things about this world is not ever being a know-it-all. Don't be too proud to learn from people less talented and knowledgeable than you. It's all too easy to dismiss people with less education or intelligence than you when, in fact, they can be a good source of great ideas that you would never generate yourself.

Regardless of how many years of experience you have in your field, and irrespective of how much of an expert you may be in it, you can always learn something new in that field. Sometimes good ideas or information will come from someone you least expect, such as a person who has never had any experience in your field. It may be the resident janitor or a derelict or a Siberian pig farmer. In this regard, John Wooden concluded, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

An effective way to learn a lot about life is not to talk as much as the other person. "You don't learn anything," quipped a wise old professor, "while you're talking." Take the time to really listen actively to others. If you're always too busy yapping because you like the sound of your own voice, you won't learn very much. At the extreme, one-way conversations are conducted by fools although they may themselves think that they are the wise ones.

To learn more, try to emulate the wise people of this world. You should be able to spot the wise people quite easily. Wise people are humble. They are quick to admit that they don't know everything and that practically anyone can teach them something. They listen without preconception or judgment or criticism. They learn from waiters and cab drivers and doormen and peasants.

Socrates, one of the most famous and brilliant philosophers of all time, concluded, "All I know is that I know nothing." Indeed, this may be the greatest wisdom ever - admitting that you are ignorant of a whole lot of things regardless of how much you already know. Above all, remember that wisdom is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.