This is of course true, though not a new idea. Bret Victor said "the most dangerous thought you can have as a creative person is to think you know what you're doing."[0]<p>Moreover when we are convinced we know what we're doing, it's a sure sign we don't have a clue. After a few decades of practice I realized that in fact I <i>didn't</i> know what I was doing, and turns out that's the key to success.<p>[0] <a href="http://worrydream.com/dbx/" rel="nofollow">http://worrydream.com/dbx/</a>
I often wonder whether my parents felt the same way raising me that I do raising my children: just winging it for the most part, trying to figure out how to be a good parent from any available resource, and projecting an aura of infallibility and reassurance.<p>You have to step up and own your ignorance if you ever want to move past it.
That is such an unhelpful mantra to keep repeating.
It's phrased negatively and offers no enlightenment other than acknowledgement of your ignorance.<p>People qualify as worthy leaders by showing wisdom. Plenty of stuff is not super original (Facebook wasn't the first social network). Prior experience is a great teacher.<p>Good leaders make plans and manage their risks. Even if they are moving into a new field, they can draw on the skills and experiences of others. Then they prioritise what's important and allocate resources based off that.<p>As the plans get executed, they monitor progress and adapt accordingly.<p>There are always uncertainties. If they eventuate, the impact can be good or bad. Planning ahead means assessing the likelihoods and making appropriate contingencies.<p>Just acting confident is not showing leadership.
True indeed. Other observations:<p>-I wonder how they are dealing with the motorbike ban. Seems like quite the obstacle in a city like Lagos.<p>-I am fascinated by how other countries seem to be importing Black Friday from the U.S. to their shores. The U.K. is doing it too, I understand. I get the retailers' motivations, but I hope these societies never find themselves in the position of America's extreme affinity for it. To me it's a sad spectacle.
I think it's better to have some weighted account of what you know and don't know then to assume that any process, framework, theory, or person can't be relied on for signal.<p>Daring to have an opinion and daring to be wrong can be just as much of an exploratory process; that, and it sounds less anxious.<p>A lot of people say "nobody knows anything!" and leave it at that. It's more often used as an anti-intellectual tool, or a license to say whatever you want since you've just established that everyone in the room is ignorant.
Good ol' Socrates :)<p>This resonates with me very strongly. But it seems all too easy to extend this sentiment towards others and remind them that they don't know what they're doing, which creates a pretty toxic environment.