Sure, every time I see some idiot surfing the internet promising to make a fortune in six months, I get shocked; I don't like judgmental people, and I don't see any benefit in getting annoyed all the time over unimportant things. Besides, you don't know everything about people. However, there is one group of people that bothers me the most; they are the people who claim to know everything.
Danish scientist Piet Hein says: “People who claim to know everything are a global pest.” Some people always want to prove how smart or knowledgeable they are, and they take every opportunity to let people know that they know something, but what is the point of that? Can't they just listen? Of course, they can't, as these people always have something to say.
Nor do they make mistakes at all because their arrogance is too great to admit it. Is it self-confidence or weakness in self-confidence? The answer is clea: when I think about it: When you exhibit know-it-all behavior, it is a sign of insecurity. People who claim to know everything suffer from delusional disorder.
I'm not the only one who can't stand this kind of people. Most of my friends and people I work with always talk about how upset they are with these people, and I get at least one email a day about it. I know that some people are very annoying.
Tips for Dealing with People Who Claim to Know Everything
1. Don't get upset with them
Know-it-alls are annoying, but there is another way to deal with them. A while ago, I was at a conference in Amsterdam with a friend who runs a startup. We were talking to two aspiring German entrepreneurs, and my friend was sharing some of the things he learned in the first year of establishing his company, which were simple things like not thinking enough about the user, starting early, etc. He shared his view on common mistakes, and one of the two German guys said: "You're so intuitive." My friend sarcastically replied: “Well, you are absolutely brilliant.” My friend wasn't bothered by it. He even laughed at him, and that's what I do with these idiots.
2. Don't try to teach them
Trying to teach and share knowledge with someone who claims to "know everything" is the most significant waste of time. They already know everything, and you might try to help them, but think about it: others can't help them, as the solution is in their hands.
3. Stay away from them
Over the past years, I have worked with all kinds of people from all over the world. I love meeting new people from different countries, with different personalities, backgrounds, etc., but I avoid the "know-it-alls." I don't want them as clients, friends, or students, and I don't care if they think I'm not nice because I don't want to listen to them.
Not knowing everything is wisdom
In the end, the "know-it-alls" are losers, and the only thing we can do is not act like them. As the philosopher Socrates said, the reason is: “I am the wisest of all because all I know is that I know nothing.”
This is the only absolute truth. We do not know anything and the beauty of acknowledging that we do not know everything is that it brings you closer to people than you can imagine. Once you stop caring about whether you are right or not, you can get to know them without judgment.
In conclusion
It's great to hear other people's points of view, or maybe because we don't have all the answers, we have a few absolutes in life, and that's fine.
Admitting this and recognizing that we don't know much is what requires true wisdom.
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