I Don't Know

One of the things I struggle with (which is readily apparent if you've read nearly anything else I've written), is the realization that there is still a great deal I don't know, even within the field I've spent a decade plus investigating and practicing. And the reality, of course, is that I will never know it all. No matter how much time I spend reading, watching, listening, and doing, I will never know, understand, or realize it all. And all of that comes into even greater focus when reading coaches like Stuart McMillan and Dan Pfaff acknowledge that they don't have all the answers, either.
So imagine my frustration and anger when I see people speak with such certainty on many matters political, sociological, psychological, economic, medical, and so forth, despite having very little (if any) experience, knowledge, aptitude, or background in any of those areas (though, admittedly, extensive experience is not a prerequisite for expertise, but I digress).
Why are we afraid to admit we don't know something? I used to spend far too much time wrapped in debate, particularly on subjects I had little more than a passing knowledge of, but plenty of opinion. Over time, I was no longer young enough to know everything (thanks Oscar Wilde!), and began to simply step back and step away from debate. Quite simply, nuance is too often absent, and it is usually driven by opinion and emotion, rather than reason and patience. No one is there to listen, and everyone is just waiting their turn to talk.
Discussion, conversely, is where progress is made. If people are willing to recognize the gaps in their knowledge, and actually learn from others (assuming the points being made have basis in fact, or are at least based on solid theoretical grounds), we can actually move forward. Instead, too often we spin ourselves round in circles, into the dirt, yelling over one another.

"The whole problem of the world is that fools and fanatics are always so sure of themselves, while wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell