Not Knowing is not as Easy as You Think

Not knowing too much is sometimes a mark of wisdom, particularly for researchers.

Let me start with a story. There was a king who liked to show off every new cloth he bought. Hearing about his obsession for new clothes, two men arrived in his palace claiming to have the skills to weave clothes that can be visible to people who are worthy of the jobs they are doing. The two men asked for a hefty sum of money to buy gold and other materials that will be used for making the special dress. The king readily obliged.

After a few days, the king grew restless and sent his minister to check the work progress. The minister saw the two men working hard but could not see anything in their hands. The needle was just moving in the air. The two men asked the minister about his impression of the dress. Fearing that he will be exposed for being unworthy for the job he was doing, he started praising the two men and quickly returned to the king with the good news.

Finally, the day came for the king to wear the dress. Arrangements have already been made for common citizens to have a glimpse at the magical dress.

The two men brought the dress with smiling faces. The king saw nothing. Fearing he will be caught for being unworthy of being the king, he started praising the two men, and they put the dress on him. Everyone in the court started talking about the wonderful dress and complimented the king. The King then went out of the palace for the planned procession. The citizens showered praises on him.

Spoiling the whole celebration, a kid in the crowd shouted “The king has no clothes!” The confused citizens started whispering to each other, which soon turned into a laughing competition. Realizing that he had been fooled, the king ran back to his palace. The two con-men were nowhere to be found.

Now coming back to research, remember you will quite often have the feeling of being unworthy for not knowing something. You will pretend to know what others around you pretend to know. You are likely to spend months mastering a tool or method, not because you see its usefulness, but because others pretend to have benefited from it.

You are afraid to say what you don’t see because being a child is not easy at all. It means facing judgment. You have a reputation of knowing too much. It is not easy to have the courage to bet on it.

PS: "The king has no clothes" story was likely told first by the 11th century Jain scholar Jineśvara.