When You Don't Know, Just Say So, Truth Above Pride!

It is irritating every time you ask questions, only to receive a volume of 'explanations' yet contain no answer. Then you think, probably the question is not clear, trying to simplify it and asking from different approach. To your dismay, you receive another set of long narrative from different perspective and still no clue what the answer is.

Let me try to give an analogy to appreciate the frustration. Imagine you are a tourist, walking around in a new park holding a map to navigate around. Suddenly there is nature calling and you have to give it a go urgently, desperately to find toilet (you know what I mean :D). Then you approach a man nearby, let's call him Mr.Smart. "Sir, do you know where is nearest toilet?" To his answer, "Yes I know, the nearest would be the shortest distance from here". You are puzzled, but in need to find answer "Ok, but how to find it?" In reply "Well, we need to find all possibilities of whereabouts of the toilets surrounding here, then calculate the distance and choose the shortest one". Still in desperate, you still have patience left to entertain, "Ok sir, how do I find all of the toilets surrounding". Mr. Smart keep giving 'not-a-wrong' answers but not helpful, "Well we need a map!". In rush you give the map you are holding, "here Sir, please help me to find it" Mr.Smart smiles in amusement, giving you the impression that one should be able to read map himself, making you dump founded. "Ok, here is the nearest toilet" as Mr.Smart points on the map where there is toilet icon drawn, "According to the map, it is to the west from here". At your state, you wish he could just give direct direction, but there is still patience left in you. "Ok Sir, but which way is West? Please, I am new here, and I urgently need to find toilet". Mr.Smart again in his amusing smile replies, "Well West is the opposite of East". You start swearing in your heart, "But which way is East?" To his reply, "Well East is where the sun rises, don't you learn that in school?" By now you notice the man is wearing T-shirt with logo from one of the elite schools. But this is daytime already, not easy to guess where did the sun rise from. By this time, you have no patience left, and that thing in your tummy, you desperately want to dump out is already at the tip of your secretion hole terminal. Then you desperately look for another person, let's call him Mr.Honest. "Sir, where is nearest toilet?". To his reply, "Oh so sorry, I don't know, but try to check with that man, pointing to other man". Immediately you go to that man, and let's call him Mr.Helpful. "Sir, where is nearest toilet?" In reply, "Oh sorry, I don't know, but I saw a man in uniform, I think he is the park ranger, he should know, just walk straight from here and turn left, you'd find him. You don't waste another seconds, running to the told direction and indeed find a man in uniform, let's call him, Mr.Answer. "Sir, where is nearest toilet?". In his reply, "Oh just walk straight 50 meters, turn left, and you would find a sign pointing to the nearby toilet". "Thank you sir" is your answer in joy as you sprint as if you were fighting for your life when a lion chased after you. Then indeed you find the toilet there, and just about time as you manage to dump it in a sweet relief, feeling how wonderful life is - pheww!

As you enjoy the moment of your life, then you start flashing back. Mr.Smart was not wrong in his answers technically, but they were all useless. While Mr.Honest, while he did not have the answer but was being honest which prompted you to immediately find another. His honesty actually did help indirectly to find the answer promptly. This lead you to Mr.Helpful, although he did not have the answer either, but he pointed to someone who could. Then finally you met the Mr.Right and found the answer. You finish your business and continue enjoying the park. As you walk with your train of thoughts, coincidentally you pass by again Mr.Smart, seems to hold his tummy as he speak to a man next to him; as you are near enough, you manage to overhear him asking the man, "Sir, do you know where is nearest toilet?".

You would find someone like Mr.Smart in your life, learn to recognize one, and my advice is to not waste time with him. In the first place, please don't be one! Let us reflect on our attitude when being asked. Is our answer honest? Or our ego plays part? Let 'Yes' be yes and 'No' be no. When you don't have the answer, just say so. Better, you could point to someone could. Or, you could learn together to find the answer.

Our final objective is to find Mr.Answer, but often, we need help from someone like Mr.Honest and Mr.Helpful to point to the right direction, pointing to Mr.Right. Treasure them!