I recently started reading “Think Like a Freak,” the newest book co-authored by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. It is the third book in a series they started in 2005 with “Freakonomics” and followed up in 2009 with “Superfreakonomics.” For years I have raved to family, friends, my students, and just about anybody that would listen to me about the cutting edge thinking these gentlemen were sharing with the world. Their ultimate goal is to discover the hidden incentives that cause people to make decisions and unintended consequences that can happen as a result of what would normally be considered unrelated events.

One of the earliest chapters in their latest book focuses on the importance of three simple words: I DON’T KNOW. So often in life people will pretend to know an answer they simply don’t know, or can’t possibly know. What is their motivation? Are they afraid to admit weakness? If they are in a situation where they are surrounded by their professional peers are they more likely to “fake it?” The reality is admitting you don’t know something takes a great deal of strength and confidence. It shows that you are able to identify a shortcoming and hopefully are willing to engage it and remedy it.

In my 12 years of teaching I have been stumped by my students on numerous occasions, every time that has happened I have simply answered, “I don’t know.” When one of these moments happen the students look at me perplexed, as to say, “what do you mean you don’t know?” I’ve even had a few especially bright kids ask something to the effect of, “aren’t you going to pretend to know, like our other teachers?” My response is always the same, “can you tell when they are faking it?” They laugh and say of course, to which I respond with, “then why on Earth would I pretend to know something I don’t and lose my credibility?”

I teach my human geography students about the world, in case you missed the memo, the world is a really big place. It is physically impossible for one person to know everything about the world, the key is to find the things you need or want to know and take the time to learn them and expand your knowledge. I have stopped entire lessons with my students to find information that nobody in the room, including me, is familiar with but that we have deemed to be important enough to drop what we are doing and figure it out. When these moments happen and we have figured out the missing fact I stop and tell my students that more importantly we have just embraced the power of the three most powerful words in the English language: I don’t know. Just saying the words isn’t enough, ignorance isn’t bliss, “I don’t know” must be turned into, “The answer is…”

If the Freakonomics series sounds appealing to you, please find their books on Amazon or follow their blog, where you can also download their Podcast.