The Power of Saying 'I Don’t Know'

I remember the exact moment my perspective shifted. Early in my career, I was in the middle of a client meeting where I was expected to give an update on a feature we had been struggling with for months. My team was looking to me for answers, but I had none. I was stuck, and instead of giving the usual polished, deflective response, I decided to admit it: “I’m not sure what the solution is right now.” Saying it out loud felt like my professional mask had cracked, exposing a vulnerable side of me I had always tried to hide.

In the silence that followed, I waited for the backlash, but instead, something amazing happened. The lead engineer offered to help me break down the problem, and other teammates began sharing their thoughts and experiences. What could have been a solo failure turned into a group effort to find a way forward. That moment taught me a valuable lesson: admitting what you don’t know isn’t just liberating, it’s transformative. It takes a certain quiet strength to let go of your ego and embrace humility.

Humility as a Superpower in Engineering

In engineering, there’s a constant pressure to have answers. After all, we’re paid to solve problems, right? But here's the thing: technology moves so fast that it’s impossible for one person to know everything. Admitting this reality is where real strength lies. The ability to deliberately not care about appearing smart is a rare form of strength. The truth is, the best engineers aren’t the ones who know everything; they’re the ones who admit when they don’t and are willing to learn.

There’s a specific kind of freedom that comes with acknowledging your gaps in knowledge. It’s the opposite of impostor syndrome, where you’re constantly afraid of being exposed as inadequate. Humility allows you to shift the focus away from proving yourself and instead toward improving yourself. When you admit what you don’t know, you’re giving yourself permission to grow.

The Growth Mindset in Action

A fixed mindset tells you that your abilities are set in stone. You either know something, or you don’t. On the other hand, a growth mindset views knowledge as fluid and ever-evolving. People with a growth mindset embrace challenges because they see them as opportunities to improve. In engineering, this mindset is critical because no one knows everything, and the field is constantly changing.

Continued...

You can find the rest of this post The Comprehensive Engineer Substack