2 Words I Use to Get Smarter Every Day

“Hedge fund manager?” I affirm, nodding and thinking of lawn care.

“That makes sense. The world needs those.”

Probably 16 times a day I say things which are wrong or dumb or misinformed. More often than not everyone goes along with it because I’m an adult. We adults obviously know everything about everything.

I wish people would correct me more.

Maybe you have this I have habit too — nodding your head along with the jargon just to keep the conversation going. It doesn’t matter care if you’re in a conversation with a fireman, a garbage man, or an investment banker, the second a strange concept comes up, you go bobble head to keep from losing face.

It’s silly.

Although I can be slow to learn, I’ve picked up a couple of words which have increased my intelligence ten fold, and I’m about to share them with you. Ready? Here they are:

“What’s that?”

It’s like magic.

Every time I say “what’s that?” I learn more.

Every time I say “oh of course” I learn nothing.

Get it?

Oh and by the way, I’ve never once been scolded for my ignorance. Turns out people like to talk about what they know.

Intelligence isn’t really about having all the answers. It’s about knowing where to find them.

More often than not, the answers are in other people.