What do you mean, you don’t know?

I don’t know was one of my most used phrases during my school days.

It was an easy 3 words to use in situations where I didn’t want to participate, like class.

I’d sit daydreaming, ruminating or just quietly paying attention. Then all of a sudden a teacher would call on me for the answer to a question.

Perhaps I hadn’t heard it or maybe I didn’t want to think or join in because after all my hand wasn’t even up.

So, I’d almost immediately respond with I don’t know even if after some thought I might have had an answer to contribute.

I never wanted to offeranything because on the occasions that I did, my hand would be up.

And so when I used to say I don’t know it just meant that I didn’t want to offer, join in or engage.

This phase of my life was around 10 years ago at a time where I found it incredibly difficult to use my voice.

These days I’m more commonly heard saying I’m not sure and I’m much more willing to contribute something and be wrong instead of saying nothing at all.

If you find yourself using I don’t know as a regular response ask yourself why because you might find that it could actually be replaced with the phrases ‘I don’t want to think’.

And if you don’t want to think then you might be a lazy person or you might be scared of being wrong.

Either way there’s something to work.