20.01.2021

IGNORANCE, ARROGANCE AND THOUGHT PROVOCATION.

IGNORANCE, ARROGANCE AND THOUGHT PROVOCATION.

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Imagine you are an interviewer and let me share with you three imaginary interviewees and their responses to the question, "What do you know about our industry?"

We would undoubtedly be fascinated by the different attitudes the three of them displayed, but none of us would ever dream of employing the first two.

1 The first one is exemplified by Basil Fawlty's waiter Manuel who announced "I know nothing."

2 The second is the person who says, "To save time, let's just assume I know everything."

3 The final one is the one who offers "The only thing I know is that I know nothing" followed by a pause then "and yet my research does show that .... . Unfortunately I have no yard stick by which to assess whether this is truth or opinion. I need more input, perhaps you could enlighten me."

The first phrase used by the third interviewee is derived from Plato’s account of the Greek philosopher Socrates and is sometimes called the Socratic paradox.

Perhaps we wouldn't employ the last one either, but at least it is thought provoking and shows a willingness to learn.

#proteuscareermanagement #presonaldevelopment #careercoaching #careeradvice #interviewtechnique #careermentoring #careermanagement

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