I think you can genuinely believe that you know something until you are called out on it, only to realise that you can't even explain it.
If you don't know something just reply 'I don't know.' followed by 'Can you explain that to me?', you might be met with stunned silence. Or better still someone will have a go at explaining something. Sometimes the process of explaining it helps you cement your understanding. When working alone I really miss that type of interaction.
> I think you can genuinely believe that you know something until you are called out on it, only to realise that you can't even explain it.
When I was a young boy, my mom always used to tell me that the true benchmark of whether you understand something is whether you can explain it to someone else. It's a great self-checking habit to form indeed, because relating knowledge forces one to organize it and whittle it down to essentials, and often new insights spring forth in the process. So I really frequently grab someone blessed with curiosity and just talk at them about what I'm doing.
I think you can genuinely believe that you know something until you are called out on it, only to realise that you can't even explain it.
If you don't know something just reply 'I don't know.' followed by 'Can you explain that to me?', you might be met with stunned silence. Or better still someone will have a go at explaining something. Sometimes the process of explaining it helps you cement your understanding. When working alone I really miss that type of interaction.