The Three Hardest Words to Say?
Written by Anthony Demangone
If you are like me, and enjoy a good bit of economics, you likely are familiar with Freakonomics. Â
The book uses economics to discuss various topics in a way that opens your eyes and gets you thinking.
Driving home after getting groceries, I tuned in the local public radio station only to learn that Freakonomics also has a radio show. The show is great - thoughtful and intelligent. And every show is archived so you can listen to it in "podcast" form.Â
The episode playing as the ice cream melted in the back of the car was on our inability to say three little words - I don't know. You can listen to the broadcast here.
In short, we're trained in school to need to know the answer. A teacher may be going over a math problem or a history question. The question, usually tied to the subject matter, usually has an answer. So we're trained to answer - and to believe we should have the answer. The podcast goes on to say this gets worse in business school. There's a good deal of research behind the subject, believe it or not. Please give the podcast a listen.
But it got me thinking. "I don't know," is likely a very good answer many times. Good questions are just that - good questions - because there aren't clear answers. Do we create an environment where "I don't know" is acceptable at times?Â
Food for thought...
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Now, the hardest three words to say, at least for me, are not "I love you." Especially with my lovely wife Mandy. Today marks 8 glorious years of marriage. Two wonderful children, countless thought-provoking conversations, and many lovely trips down random alleys and country roads. I am truly blessed.
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