What should you do if you don't know an answer? Why honesty is okay

"I don't know" is nothing to be embarrassed about

Sometimes your question box gets questions you can't answer with what you know, like "What do you think about quantum mechanics?" or "What are your thoughts on the economy?"

In moments like these, pretending to know and giving a random answer is something you'd want to avoid. You end up spreading wrong information, and anyone who knows the topic well might see right through it: "This person doesn't get it."

Say "I don't know" honestly. It isn't embarrassing. If anything, it's a sincere attitude. Nobody knows everything in the world. It's only natural that there are things you don't know.

How to say "I don't know" in a cool way

Just writing "I don't know" can feel curt, so let's add a little twist.

Method 1 is to say you don't know but you're interested. Writing "Honestly, I don't know much about this, but it caught my interest, so I'll look it up!" gives a positive impression.

Method 2 is to answer within your own range. Say something like "I don't know the technical side, but personally, I think this," and answer with your impressions rather than knowledge. The sender may want to know what you think more than the right answer.

Method 3 is to ask back. If you reply, "I'm not an expert, but why were you curious about that?", the conversation keeps going. If the sender knows more than you, the conversation could even turn into them teaching you.

What happens when people see through your pretending

Answers where you pretend to know tend to get noticed more easily than you'd think. If the person who sent the question knows the topic well, they'll probably see through it: "Oh, this person doesn't get it."

The damage when you get caught is big. Once you're labeled as "someone who pretends to know even what they don't," people tend to look at your other answers with suspicion too. The trust you built with 10 honest answers could collapse after just one bluff.

On the other hand, people who can honestly say "I don't know" tend to earn trust. That's because others come to think, "What this person says is true." In the long run, honesty is a reliable ally.

The fun of looking it up before you answer

When you get a question you don't know about, even if you can't answer on the spot, you have the option of looking it up before answering. It's sincere, and it has benefits for you too.

Reply with "Good question, let me look into it!" and report back later with "Here's what I found." The question gives you a chance to add one more thing to what you know. Your followers can learn from what you looked up, too.

Your question box turns into a small place for research and learning. Do you see things you don't know as "a hassle" or as "lucky, I get to learn something"? If you can approach them the second way, you should be able to turn even questions you can't answer into a fun time.

Share "I don't know," and someone will teach you

When you don't know the answer, instead of forcing yourself to handle it alone, asking your followers for help is another option.

Put it out there: "I don't know the answer to this one either, so if anyone knows about it, please tell me!" Then someone who knows may teach you. With everyone's help, you may find an answer to a question you couldn't answer alone.

This is possible precisely because a question box isn't one-way, but a two-way connection. When you're honest and open about "I don't know," knowledge comes to you. Sharing what you don't know instead of hiding it isn't a weakness. It's the power to bring people in. That, too, is a perfectly good way to answer. Reaching an answer together with everyone has a kind of excitement that's different from answering alone. The courage to admit what you don't know may bring you unexpected learning and warm connections.

Questions you don't want to answer are a different story

"Questions you don't know the answer to" and "questions you don't want to answer" are two different things.

With questions you don't know, you just lack the knowledge, so it's fine to say so honestly. But with questions you don't want to answer (too private, unpleasant, and so on), you don't have to force yourself to answer.

It's okay to turn them down with something like "I don't think I can answer that one" or "Sorry, that's a private matter." Saying no is one way of taking care of yourself, too.

A question box isn't a place where you answer every question. It's a place where you answer the questions you want to answer. With this mindset, you should be able to keep it going without straining yourself.