See Also:
Life Lesson #98 – Be Valuable, Not Important
Life Lesson #57 – When You’re Wrong, Admit It
Life Lesson #9 – Seek Advice
The Thomas Edison Story
Once my daughter at eight years of age sincerely posed the question, “Why do we have blood?” My five year old son quickly and arrogantly replied, “So we won’t be flat!” Of course, we all had a big laugh.
But when supposedly mature adults speak with grand authority on subjects they know nothing about, they not only look foolish, they also damage their credibility in areas where they really are knowledgeable.
Many young people in school find themselves caught up in this Know-it-all Syndrome. But in nearly every case, it is simply a matter that they want to be thought of as knowledgeable and are covering for the fact that they haven’t made the effort to learn. People who truly are knowledgeable rarely sacrifice their time or their integrity trying to impress others.
And from that perspective, it’s pretty easy to see that Know-it-alls usually … don’t!
– Jim Lord