We’re taught that knowing is the goal.
The student with the right answer gets the A.
The expert with the best insight gets the stage.
The leader with absolute certainty earns trust.
But certainty is a trap. It shuts down curiosity. It closes doors that should be open.
Children know this instinctively. They ask Why? not because they’re empty, but because they’re open. They haven’t yet built the walls that stop them from exploring.
The best leaders, the best thinkers, the best creators? They do the same thing.
They step into conversations as if they’re missing something. Because they are.
The Illusion of Knowing
We believe that once we “know,” we’ve arrived.
But knowledge, especially unquestioned knowledge, can be dangerous.
- A CEO who “knows” what customers want stops innovating.
- A coach who “knows” the limits of his players never pushes past them.
- A leader who “knows” how her team feels stops listening.
The moment we decide we already have the answer, we stop looking for a better one.
Certainty is a cage. Curiosity is the key.
The Power of Pretending Not to Know
Try it. Walk into the next conversation, meeting, or challenge pretending—intentionally—not to know.
Not because you’re clueless, but because you’re open.
- Ask, What if I’m wrong?
- Pause, even when you think you “get it.”
- Listen longer than feels comfortable.
- Challenge your own expertise.
- Trade being right for being curious.
When you pretend not to know, you make room for new possibilities. You allow yourself to see what others overlook. You escape the trap of “the way things have always been.”
Knowing Less, Learning More
The world doesn’t need more people who have all the answers.
It needs more people who ask better questions.
It needs more leaders who listen.
It needs more thinkers willing to step into uncertainty and say, I don’t know… yet.
Because the moment you pretend not to know, you create space for something new to emerge.
And that’s where all the magic happens.