CDZ The Three Most Valuable Words in the English Language: "I Don't Know"

[jwoodie]

The three most valuable words in the English language are "I don't know." They combine the virtues of honesty, integrity and humility into a single sentence, yet so many people are unable or unwilling to utter them to themselves or others.

Why is that? Do these people have such tender egos that any admission of this type would shatter their already shaky self-images? Or are they so hungry for external validation that they feel they must try to appear knowledgeable to others? Another possibility is that they are profoundly ignorant to the extent that they are unaware of anything that might exist outside of their own personal experiences. The most disturbing explanation is that they are deceitful people who say things they know to be untrue in order to promote some scheme to mislead others.

Which of these do you think are the most prevalent reasons for refusing to utter these words?

 

[BackAgain]

I don’t know.

 

[JoeMoma]

I know everything, 'cept I forgot.

 

[Hang on Sloopy]

 

[Moonglow]

The three most valuable words in the English language are "I don't know." They combine the virtues of honesty, integrity and humility into a single sentence, yet so many people are unable or unwilling to utter them to themselves or others.

Why is that? Do these people have such tender egos that any admission of this type would shatter their already shaky self-images? Or are they so hungry for external validation that they feel they must try to appear knowledgeable to others? Another possibility is that they are profoundly ignorant to the extent that they are unaware of anything that might exist outside of their own personal experiences. The most disturbing explanation is that they are deceitful people who say things they know to be untrue in order to promote some scheme to mislead others.

Which of these do you think are the most prevalent reasons for refusing to utter these words?

I called it, "professional ignorance" in the army.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

Don't I know

 

[Oddball]

I place those 2nd, right after my top three...."mind your business".

 

[Ringel05]

I prefer the term "plausible deniability"...........

 

[Oddball]

I prefer the term "plausible deniability".........

I cannot recall....

 

[Dogmaphobe]

I am rather partial to "cash or charge?", myself.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I feel like those words get used a lot by those not wanting to answer questions that might incriminate them

 

[BackAgain]

I feel like those words get used a lot by those not wanting to answer questions that might incriminate them

I advise you to take the fifth on that theory.

 

[Pellinore]

"I was wrong" have got to be up there as well.

 

[miketx]

I don’t know.

I know, right?