The Most Powerful Three Word Phrase You Can Ever Say
When informed the Oracle of Delphi had told one of his friends he was the wisest person in Athens, Socrates was shocked.
He didn't believe he had any secret information or insights which made him smarter than anyone else.
Baffled by the Oracle's statement, he set out to prove her wrong. To find someone smarter than himself.
He toured Athens, talking to the wisest men he could find. Artists, philosophers, and even humble craftsmen, Socrates spoke to them all. To each, he asked the same question, what was truly worthwhile in life?
Socrates was unable to find anyone who could give him a satisfactory answer. Instead of admitting their ignorance, those he questioned were happy to pretend they knew the answer.
This is when Socrates realised the Oracle was right. He was the wisest, not because of the breadth of his intellect, but because he was prepared to admit his ignorance.
Socrates summed this up as follows: "I know that I know nothing."
Admitting your ignorance isn't a sign of weakness. It's an acknowledgement there's a limit to how much one person can know. Only by acknowledging your blind spots can you see where the gaps in your knowledge lie.
True wisdom is attained, not through what you already know, but what you don't. Ignorance is bliss, but only if you acknowledge it. If you don't, it becomes a prison. One, like Alcatraz; hard to escape.
In a world where lies, charlatans and ignorance is rife, you can rise above this. It's as simple as uttering the following phrase, to a question you can't answer.
I don't know.