What You Don’t Know?

What you don’t know could fill books!  It takes years and maturity to realize what you don’t know.  I know because I have the (66 years old to be exact) years and maturity (just based on my age).  Seriously, figuring out what you don’t know is real important and it should happen sooner rather than later.  Did you figure it out yet?  No problem, I will give you ten things just to start you off.

If you think I am going to make a list of astrophysics, brain surgery or Chinese, you would be wrong!  It is much more mundane than that.  It is much more a series of everyday items you don’t bother to learn or find out.  Part of it is because you are not interested enough to find out and other things you think you know and you don’t.  Many of these things are just part of your day and you do it every day.

Ten Things You Don’t Know

Math – Many of my high school students hate math because they do not have math skills.  What they don’t realize is math is a huge part of your life.  I am not talking about counting your change at McDonald’s either.  Math skills affect your thinking!  Yes, arithmetic/computational skills is still a big part of it, but not all of it. Math skills also involve problem solving, decisions making, critical thinking, reasoning/logic and technology skills.  For those of you that are strong in math, you may be weak in other subjects which may impact your overall knowledge in different ways.

Soft Skills –What are soft skills?  Everyone concentrates on learning skills.  It may be a class in school or college.  Maybe it is learning how to ride a bike or invest in the stock market.  Important, but lack of soft skills will get you fired!  Why isn’t everyone learning them? There is no simple answer!  Here are just a few, (oral & written) communication skills, listening skills, negotiation skills, etiquette/manners, self management skills and teamwork/sociability skills.  In addition, Reliability, dependability, integrity, work ethic, positive attitude, self confidence, adaptability and responsibility/goal setting are some soft skills.

Food – Everybody eats and some even cook!  You can eat and cook everyday and still know very little about food.  There is so much information out there and some of it is controversial.  The French are so healthy with all the butter and fat they consume.  They say it is because of all the wine they consume.  I believe it is there smaller portions and a lot of physical activity.  There are so many different diets; it is enough to make your head spin.  I think it points out how little we really know about food!

Personal Finance – I have honed my skills for more than forty (40) years and I am still learning about personal finance.  When you think you know everything is when you are really in trouble.  Personal finance is not some static subject in history.  You can study it and learn everything and something changes or something new comes out.  For me, it is similar to law or medicine because it is a practice.  That is to perform an activity or exercise a skill to acquire, improve or maintain proficiency.

Love – This is a word we use very easily, such as I love you or I love my car, dog, cat, etc!  I am not talking about genuine emotion, but the word itself.  The genuine emotion is open to a lot of definitions too.  I remember asking my Dad about love when I was a young boy.  He told me I will know it when I feel it.  I think that points out how much I do not know about love.  The divorce rate may also indicate how little we know about love too.  I definitely know what love means to me, but does it work for everyone?

Women/Men – As a male, I realize how little I know about women despite all the time I have spent with them.  I don’t know, but I presume women feel the same way about men.  Let’s face it we are different and so are boys and girls.  As much as we want equality in pay and career opportunities, we are different!  I would rather appreciate the differences and work with them to make things better than just complain about the differences.

Mind – It has been a mystery to scientists forever!  Medical doctors are amazed how your mind can cure illnesses.  It may the power of positive thinking or spiritual reasons.  It is your belief in something that helps you overcome a physical illness.  There is more that we or doctors do not know about your mind and the healing processes.  Your mind can do many more things than you realize, but all it takes is using it to succeed.

Animals – I would love to know what my pet is thinking.  Particularly, when they do something wrong.  I often wonder what they do when I am not home.  I know they are sleeping until I get home.  Then they go to sleep after I get home.  Did you ever wonder what they are thinking?  Maybe, I am the only one!  I often wonder when a dog barks what they are saying.  Maybe he/she is saying hello or get me out of here.

Future – Remember those movies when you could go into the future.  I would love to do that.  It would be a great way to see how things turn out.  Did I do all the right or many of the right moves?  I know there are people who are pretty good at predictions, but they are never 100%.  Maybe this question comes from my desire of assessing my planning abilities.  I always want to know my score!  Just think if you knew the future for certain stocks, what would you do?

Self-Assessment – It is the process of looking at oneself in order to assess aspects that are important to one’s identity.  This is something all of us should do, but few of us do.  I see it as an opportunity to figure out your skills and knowledge and how you can achieve your goals.  It is the basis for improving yourself. I am not talking about education or training; instead it is improving your self-concept.

Final Thoughts

You may be a little surprised with my list!  You may feel you know a lot about these things.  It is my opinion that most people do not!  Not because they do not want to, but for various reasons do not learn about it. I spent a lifetime in various professional and personal roles asking a lot of questions.  I realize how little I know and I am reminded of it every day.  It is not a criticism, but something to either work on or dismiss.  I admit I am very curious!  It is one of the reasons I ask a lot of questions.  It is how I learn!  How do you find out what you don’t know?

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