How much a person knows

It is misleading to assume that a person knows the same as you about anything in life. Some know more and some know less, and some do know the same as you. Only after interacting with a person can you have a more accurate idea of how much he or she knows about something, if they are not being artful.

I made the mistake of assuming that someone knew as much as I did, when I began a venture at one time. When you believe that someone knows as much you, you don’t really explain much, but you give that person space to do things in his or her own way. If you constantly explain things to a person, and it turns out that the person already knows it, then you come across as arrogant or you make them think you don’t have faith in their knowledge. So how do you find out how much a person knows?

Well, depending on your circumstance, there will always come tests (challenging situations) that only knowledgeable people will pass, and if the person you are dealing with passes those tests then he or she proves to know. Admittedly, I probably overlooked that principle and I expected too much from that person. Nonetheless, I learned my lesson. I now take more time to find out how much a person knows about something before putting a lot on the line.

There were also times when I underestimated a person’s knowledge, only to find out how wrong I was. I think if you give conversation enough time and a comfortable pace, you will seldom underestimate or expect too much of a person.