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> The smartest developers/people I know don't have to prove they're the smartest at every step. They have the comfort to say "I don't know" and "You could be ri
by guynamedloren 15y ago
> The smartest developers/people I know don't have to prove they're the smartest at every step.
They have the comfort to say "I don't know" and "You could be right".
Most importantly, they have an attitude of "I can probably figure something out that will work".
They rarely say something is not possible. They rarely say no outright.
Thank you for this. Most people I've interacted with throughout my life are afraid to say "I don't know", likely out of fear that they will seem stupid or inferior.
When you admit you don't know something, that's when you start learning. It's simply impossible to learn if you think you already know everything.
- nullflux 15y agoI wonder if this has something to do with environment or just personal insecurity.
- guynamedloren 15y agoWe live in a world where, for whatever reason, it's not okay to be wrong. Closely tied to: it's not okay to fail. And that sucks.
- jaredsohn 15y agoThat sounds tied to environment or personal insecurity. Being wrong and failing can be okay so long as 1) you're okay with it yourself, and 2) the people who are relevant to you being successful are okay with it.
- o1iver 15y agoAnd I think to answer the parent's question one can expand on your second point. I think most people don't admit to being wrong or not knowing because they 1). wrongly think of certain people as relevant or 2). they have chosen their relevant people wrongly.