You Can Only Learn When You Accept Not Knowing

“You can only learn when you accept not knowing. You learn by examining what doesn’t work.”

Learning comes from admitting ignorance. Expertise should develop from inabilities. A passion for understanding comes from wanting to understand what you don’t.

Wurman calls this “innocence” (the lack of preconceptions that allows you to discover patterns and see connections. Being taught to be “knowing people” prevents us from this discovery.

The paradox: We’re taught to demonstrate knowledge. But demonstrating knowledge closes off learning. The joyous refrain “I don’t know” is what allows pattern discovery.

For research: The best questions come from genuine uncertainty, not from performing expertise. Admitting confusion opens investigation.

For AI systems: This connects to uncertainty visibility. Systems that always appear confident prevent users from recognizing where genuine understanding ends.

Related: 06-atom—tacit-knowledge