Unknown unknowns

Unknown unknowns

November 12, 2023

Nov.12.23 - Day 1871 - Unknown unknowns

You don’t know what you don’t know. Trust me, it’s way more than you imagine. There re 4 ways to think about risk that’s very metaphorical for learning. Known knowns. Known unknowns. Unknown knowns and unknown unknowns. That 4th category is often what determines your survival. Known knowns are things you know for sure and you know them. Known unknowns are circumstances you don’t know that you understand. Unknown knowns - things we understand and are not aware of. But unknown unknowns are things you have no idea about that you don’t even know. Most of us don’t realize that 99% of knowledge is in that category. There is so much you don’t know that’s it’s unimaginable. We think our lives are how everyone lives and thinks. That is wrong. Like Morgan Housel said in the Psychology of Money, your personal experiences, applied to money, or otherwise make up 0.000000001% of what’s happened in the world but 80% of how you think the world works. Step outside of that. Find out what you know you don’t know. How? Reading. Learning. Travel. Experiencing life from another person’s perspective. Reading can do that for you, especially biographies and stories. Read the ones of the greats. Or just listen to the Founders Podcast. Invest in your learning and yourself. Learn more about what you don’t know, not less. Be aware of the unknown unknowns.

Anish display picture

Anish Kaushal

Hey there. I'm an Indo-British Canadian doctor turned healthcare venture capitalist. I read, write and obsess over sports in my spare time. Lover of Reggaeton music, podcasts and Oreo Mcflurries.
Twitter iconFacebook iconInstagram iconGoodreads iconEmail icon

Unknown unknowns

Copy Share Link
Nov 12, 2023
Nov.12.23 - Day 1871 - Unknown unknowns

Nov.12.23 - Day 1871 - Unknown unknowns

You don’t know what you don’t know. Trust me, it’s way more than you imagine. There re 4 ways to think about risk that’s very metaphorical for learning. Known knowns. Known unknowns. Unknown knowns and unknown unknowns. That 4th category is often what determines your survival. Known knowns are things you know for sure and you know them. Known unknowns are circumstances you don’t know that you understand. Unknown knowns - things we understand and are not aware of. But unknown unknowns are things you have no idea about that you don’t even know. Most of us don’t realize that 99% of knowledge is in that category. There is so much you don’t know that’s it’s unimaginable. We think our lives are how everyone lives and thinks. That is wrong. Like Morgan Housel said in the Psychology of Money, your personal experiences, applied to money, or otherwise make up 0.000000001% of what’s happened in the world but 80% of how you think the world works. Step outside of that. Find out what you know you don’t know. How? Reading. Learning. Travel. Experiencing life from another person’s perspective. Reading can do that for you, especially biographies and stories. Read the ones of the greats. Or just listen to the Founders Podcast. Invest in your learning and yourself. Learn more about what you don’t know, not less. Be aware of the unknown unknowns.