7 Joys of Getting Dumb
The older I get, the dumber I feel—and it’s freeing. Getting dumb might be the smartest move you make.
7 Joys of Getting Dumb:
#1. Respect for the smarts of others.
“Knowing” makes it easy to look down on others.
Getting dumber frees you to let others be right.
“I neither know nor think that I know.” – Socrates
#2. Enthusiasm for learning.
People who “know” have nothing to learn. Dumb people stay hungry. They ask, listen, and learn.
The joy of getting dumb is staying curious.
#3. Less need to impress people.
Being the “expert” is draining. Life is more relaxed when you’re not trying to prove how smart you are.
Dumb people laugh at themselves.
#4. Openness to learn from failure.
Dumb people are surprised by success—and they don’t steal the credit. They see failure as normal, not fatal.
#5. Freedom to be wrong.
Get dumb in a smart way. Replace defensiveness with curiosity.
You seek feedback without flinching. You change your mind without shame.
“He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” – Confucius
#6. Deeper connections.
Openness invites connection. Pretending to know pushes people away.
Admitting you don’t know invites conversation. Learning together unites people.
#7. Freedom from perfectionism.
Perfectionists are procrastinators. Getting dumb means aiming for better, not perfect.
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki
Power tip: Think of the best questions you’ve heard. Did they come from someone trying to impress?
How could you practice getting dumber today?
How to be Smart about being Dumb
Dan great post! When I was young I thought I knew and was right about everything, and I was eager to give people a very specific answer to any question. Now as a senior citizen, I feel much dumber! Ironically nowadays many more people, including my wife’s family, ask me for advice all the time. But now I tend to give people alternatives and point out the pluses and minuses so they can make their own decisions. Brad
Thanks, Brad. You bring up an important idea. Giving advice can lower ownership. Giving options keeps the responsibility where it belongs.
I don’t like the word “Dumb” but I get your point.
I’d prefer “7 Joys of Getting Curious.”
I’m curious–what motivated you to use the word –dumb?
Hi Paul, “dumb” grabbed my attention. 🙂
Is it though? Doesn’t dumb imply a lack of curiosity? I see dumb as a state of mind, the opposite of curiosity. Those who are curious understand they don’t even know what they don’t know. Dumb to me is complaicent.
Dan – great post!
My mantra as I age is “I was a smart man with a dumb phone, but now am a dumb man with a smart phone!”
Andy