Embracing the new age of ignorance

Around 500 years ago, the world started a Great Leap Forward in scientific discovery. This could only happen because the leaders of the time began to accept that they did not have all the answers, and they could work with their people to gain new knowledge

Prior to this, the leaders, typically heads of religion, were consulted when other people could not answer a question. If they did not know the answer then the question was dismissed as unimportant. Generals believed they knew all there was to know about warfare, yet at that point there were no bombs or fighter jets. Even reading and writing was typically the preserve of an elite few.

Then something changed.

Instead of trying to prove how smart they were, scientists began to embrace questions they couldn’t answer and run experiments in search of new knowledge. Then a critical mass of leaders began to support, invest and learn from these experiments. If they hadn’t done this, we would have no technology as we know it and none of today’s big business.

Yet many of today’s big companies appear to be falling into the same old trap. Their leaders believe they already have all the answers and can keep on doing what made them successful in the past, issuing orders and decrees for their employees to follow without question.

I don’t blame them, this is how they made successful careers. It feels easier and safer to keep doing what we know. But just as the religious leaders of old persecuted scientists because they were scared of losing their position of power, some leaders cannot embrace their ignorance and accept that there is no shame in being initially ignorant about new things. How could they be expected to deeply understand the implications of Large Language Models, or know exactly how to manage in a pandemic, or embrace a hybrid working model unless they can be open enough to accept there is new knowledge available and they can learn from others with different opinions, skills and experiences?

So, here’s my call to you, how can you embrace the new age of ignorance?

Your challenge is to be open and curious, go and learn something new this week, from someone you would never normally seek an answer from.

And given we all benefit from collective intelligence, please leave a comment here to share what you’ve learned!

(Credit where credit is due: This post was inspired by Part Four of Yuval Noah Hurari’s Sapiens: a brief history of humankind)