Science Finally Proves Know-It-Alls Know Nothing

In a nutshell, this study proves that the more you think you know, the less you actually want to know. You brain stops accepting new knowledge, almost like you’re afraid of discovering you don’t know everything. So once you think you’ve mastered a subject you just stop learning about it totally and aren’t really open to the idea of learning new things or admitting you don’t know things on that subject. This was the kind of stuff Socrates warned us about back in the day – true knowledge is knowing you know nothing ( I majored in Philosophy so I’m an expert in knowing nothing). If you’re not open to always learning new things, you’re mostly just going to prove you’re an idiot.

Why would our brains even allow us to do something like this – insecurity probably plays a large role in it. If you consider yourself an expert, then any knowledge outside of what you have tests that idea and puts it in jeopardy. And unless you’re willing to be humbled by your own shortcomings, which realistically everyone has and should be fine with, you’re going to defiantly claim you have no shortcomings, even if it means being outed as a bit of a fool.



So remember this next time you post a message online and somewhere in the replies you get the old “actually, I’m a neurosurgeon and what you said is wrong…” reply. That expert may for real be an expert. Maybe. But also probably not.


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