I wish someone had given me this phrase when I was in my teens, but I may not have kept it.
A mentor once told me: “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Initially, I laughed it off, it sounded silly, and something an older person might say. Being in my twenties or thirties, it was just a saying, but it stuck with me. I have since come to understand the words. Turns out it’s a rather insightful saying and has been proven time and time again.
Becoming a student of the saying has helped me more than the person who told it to me could imagine. Especially in business, when dealing with customers or even colleagues, I don’t assume they know everything dealing with the subject in question. Likewise, even though I’ve been in the same line of work all my adult life, I no longer assume that I know everything about the product. This brings in a second idiom, learn something new every day. This happens surprisingly often, especially after embracing the phrase. And when it happens, I grin and silently thank the ‘Shark’.
