The Obvious: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed. James Dale

have a fear of appearing stupid. So we try to act like we know what we’re doing, especially at work, even when we don’t have a clue. The problem isn’t appearing stupid. It’s being stupid. Albert Einstein, who knew a thing or two, said: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”

      Ignorance is the absence of knowledge. It can be fixed. Stupidity, on the other hand, is not even knowing what you don’t know. Go get some knowledge, fill the void, and the problem is solved. Research. Read. Find a mentor. Imitate. Absorb. Test. Validate.

      If you’re ignorant, as the Wright Brothers were, you don’t understand why birds can fly and humans cannot. So, you study the elements of aerodynamics – wind resistance, acceleration, lift, drag, etc. – and fill the void with knowledge. The result? The development of the airplane, from props to jets, airlines from the first airline, TWA, to the latest no frills flyer, to airports, runways, towers, flight attendants, baggage handlers, ticket machines, metal detectors, reclining seats, air sickness bags, and miniature liquor bottles – one of the largest industries in the history of the world. But if you’re stupid, you flap your arms and crash to earth, with luck only breaking a leg.

      Ignorance is temporary. It can be cured with knowledge. Stupidity, on the other hand, is forever.

       Ask. It’s a great way to find out what you don’t know.

      Animals learn by experiences only, especially bad experiences. Big animals eat little animals. Lesson: Avoid big animals. It’s getting cold out and there’s no food. Lesson: Store nuts for winter.

      But we humans have an advantage over other animals. We don’t have to wait for bad experiences in order to learn. We don’t have to lose an account, a customer, an order, or our job, to learn. We have a shortcut.

      When we don’t understand, we can ask. But we rarely do. We refuse to ask the very questions that would have informed us and prevented or fixed the problem we face.

      All we had to do was ask. What time is the audit committee meeting? Do fair trade laws apply in California? How do you get from the Denver Airport to the client’s office? Is it plugged in? Will the boss be there? Can I wear jeans? What was the stock’s closing price? Can we amend our offer? Do we have a contingency plan? How does that work?

      Journalists live by who, what, where, when, and how. Ask.com is an entire website devoted to answering questions. Today, virtually every business offers us FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions. Why? Because they’re really FNAQs – Frequently Not Asked Questions (we’re too embarrassed to ask) that once answered, can save us a lot of trouble.

      Asking not only provides and clarifies information, prepares us for what may come, assures that we can execute as promised, avoids embarrassment, covers our tails … but it also gives rise to new ideas.

      What if Fred Smith had never wondered why it took the U.S. Post Office so long to get packages from one place to another? He might never have created Federal Express.

      What if no one had ever asked the furniture questions: How come it costs so much? Why do you have to order it and wait so long? Why can’t you take it home and put it together? Ikea might never have come into existence and introduced the Björkudden dining table or the Leksvik dresser, which we can’t pronounce but which we can take home, assemble in a few minutes with the small tool provided, and even afford to replace when we move or our tastes change.