The more you know

The more you know, the more you know that you don't know

There are people that have a bunch of knowledge. So they think they know about ~fill in the blank~ but then you watch them try to fix it and there is a huge fail.

Many times you will see that same person in a similar situation but later in life, and they have the remedy, maybe a new one, and they still fail. The problem is that they are not working within their comfort zone of expertise. They are well outside of it, thinking they know but not yet realizing that they don't know all they need to know about that particular situation.

Leveling up

So you get better at ~fill in the blank~ and you expand into a new level of efficiency only to realize that you are meager in your ability compared to the others that surround you in that new realm. You leveled up. Yesterday you were a hot-shot and today, not so much. This works with status, net worth, political power or whatever it is to which you aspire.

If you want to avoid certain embarrassment while flaunting your new found talent or position, you should take to heart the assertion at the top of this post.

The more you know, the more clear it becomes that you may not actually know as much as you think you do. That is, until you show off your ~fill in the blank~ and others give you their pity with a condescending, "Awe, isn't that cute! He has not learned to ~fill in the blank~ yet."

Not pleasant.

Be sure of yourself

Nobody should jump in with both feet on simple blind confidence. Be well practiced and stay within well defined, proven limits of known abilities. If that takes you to victory and rave reviews among current peers, bravo! If those around you are much more expert, then at least you will have achieved said goal with finesse.

There is always someone better at it, but hopefully they are in another state or country. If you are the best or most powerful, then I would like to see your gold metal or nuclear football.

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I am able to spin an open bottle on the palm of my hand as I pick it up, grab it hard as it stops upside down over the glass while adding the mix from the side. The bottle is kicked with the heal of my hand and falls back into the rack as I guide it by the neck. I can do it without thinking over and over all night.
Then there was that time when a good friend of mine called everyone's attention to my technique. I pulled it off but missed the rack at the end. I was looking at my audience for their reaction.

If I am going to screw up, it happens when I think about something that should be automatic.

Share your experience. What happened when you were out of your league but didn't know it until it was too late?

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