DEV Community

The Power of Not Knowing

Vaibhav Dwivedi on June 23, 2020

As I completed my study on psychology, I found various, interesting insights about knowing and not knowing things. There are things, that we know. ...
Collapse
 
190245 profile image
Dave

You'd probably be surprised about the number of times co-workers etc have come to me with concerns and my reply has been:

"This is just imposter syndrome. You're fine, here, lets look through the history of your achievements so you can remember some of the positives."

Couple of days later, some of them open up with "I never knew Imposter Syndrome was a 'thing' - thanks!" and later still, I've had some come to me with "Hey, sorry, I'm feeling it again & don't know what to do."... "First, stop apologising, second, sit here & look through the Sprint Reviews with me again..."

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

I can understand and feel what you are going through. It happens to the best of us.

But you are doing a great job helping them out. That's very generous of you!

Collapse
 
190245 profile image
Dave

All just part & parcel of being a Senior - in my view.

Collapse
 
albertopdrf profile image
Alberto Pérez de Rada Fiol

Very interesting read, thanks for sharing!

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

Glad you liked it :)

Collapse
 
adrianmarkperea profile image
Adrian Perea

Wow, so that's what imposter syndrome. I never knew I had till I read this. I thought I just didn't like myself. Thanks!

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

Don't be hard on yourself. You are good as you are :)

Collapse
 
hoshiholiday profile image
Hoshi Holiday

Thank you so much for talking about this! It is hard to not feel like you MUST know EVERYTHING all the time, and seeking to do just that, only because you truly want you want to prove you are truly 100% a developer. It's a personal struggle, and I thank you for addressing it.

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

I can understand and I hope this would help you. You are welcome :)

Collapse
 
makampos profile image
Matheus de Campos

Muito boa a leitura!

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

Gracias!

Collapse
 
koti profile image
Menelaos Kotoglou

Such an inspiring article!

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

I am glad you found it inspiring :)

Collapse
 
jankapunkt profile image
Jan Küster

What about things we don't know that we know them 🤔

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

Such as?

:)

Collapse
 
guitarino profile image
Kirill Shestakov • Edited

I'd also add that knowledge can be a kind of a curse. Once you learn how to build X, you might get set in your ways. You might start expecting your colleagues to follow the same way. You might not appreciate the multitude of other ways to build X. This discourages creativity and fun (obviously, not at expense of readability or performance), and, instead, encourages a dogmatic vision.

Suppose you've perfected your knowledge and understanding how to build technological systems. Now what? Now, realize that you only know a small portion of the picture, a small cross section of this multi-dimensional space. Be open and accepting of viewing the cross-section at different angles, and continue learning from others as much as they learn from you. Best teachers are forever students.

Knowledge increases your confidence. However, it may lead to inflated ego, which can often present itself in subtle or not so subtle ways. Beware of that, and make sure to stay humble, no matter how much you've achieved.

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

"Best teachers are forever students."

What a great statement. And you are right! We need to be welcoming of different perspectives of people. It is NOT necessary that the way we see things, is the same as how others see it.

Collapse
 
rusimovmilan profile image
Milan Rusimov

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This is a very useful article. Good luck with your work and achievements 💪 🙂

Collapse
 
thevediwho profile image
Vaibhav Dwivedi

I am happy you liked it. Thank you and have a nice day.