I really don’t know anything about this! I’ve been doing this all the time too

 

# “I Really Don’t Know Anything About This! I’ve Been Doing This All the Time Too”

## The Quiet Shock of Realizing How Much We Do on Autopilot

There’s a specific kind of moment that hits a little differently than embarrassment or surprise.

It’s not loud.

It’s not dramatic.

It’s quiet, almost funny—until it isn’t.

It’s the moment you hear someone explain something basic and think:

**“Wait… I really don’t know anything about this. I’ve been doing this all the time too.”**

It might be:

* How you load the dishwasher

* The way you store food

* How you use your phone battery

* The way you sit at your desk

* How you breathe when you’re stressed

* How you clean something you’ve cleaned a thousand times

And suddenly, something you’ve done automatically for years is revealed to be… not wrong, exactly—but not right either.

That moment isn’t about ignorance.

It’s about **how humans learn, repeat, and normalize habits without ever questioning them**.

And psychology says this happens to *everyone*.

---

## The Myth We All Live Under: “If I’ve Been Doing It This Long, It Must Be Right”

One of the most powerful assumptions humans make is:

> “Time equals correctness.”

If we’ve done something:

* For years

* Without obvious consequences

* Without being corrected

We assume we understand it.

But in reality, **familiarity is not the same as knowledge**.

You can repeat a behavior thousands of times without understanding:

* Why it works

* Whether it’s optimal

* What it’s actually doing

And modern life is full of systems that *function well enough* to hide inefficiency.

---

## Autopilot: The Brain’s Greatest Strength and Biggest Blind Spot

The human brain is incredibly efficient—but that efficiency comes at a cost.

Once a task becomes familiar, the brain hands it off to **automatic processing**.

That’s why you can:

* Tie your shoes without thinking

* Drive a familiar route and forget the trip

* Brush your teeth while thinking about something else

Autopilot saves energy.

But autopilot also:

* Prevents curiosity

* Reduces awareness

* Freezes habits in place

Which means **mistakes can become permanent routines**.

---

## Why No One Ever Told You

When people say, “How did I not know this?” the answer is usually simple:

No one had a reason to tell you.

Many everyday tasks:

* Are learned by watching others

* Are copied from parents or peers

* Are never formally taught

Think about it.

Who taught you:

* How to wash dishes “properly”?

* How to store leftovers?

* How long to let something dry?

* How to charge a phone battery?

* How to sit at a computer?

Most of us learned by imitation—not instruction.

And imitation passes down **habits, not understanding**.

---

## The Social Silence Around “Obvious” Things

There’s another reason these realizations feel shocking.

People don’t correct “obvious” things.

No one says:

* “You’re loading that wrong.”

* “That’s not how that works.”

* “You’ve misunderstood this.”

Because:

* It feels awkward

* It seems nitpicky

* It risks embarrassment

So small inefficiencies survive quietly.

Sometimes for generations.

---

## Why the Realization Feels Personal (Even When It Isn’t)

That “I’ve been doing this all the time” feeling often comes with:

* Mild shame

* Self-judgment

* A sense of being behind

But psychology shows this reaction is misplaced.

Because the issue isn’t intelligence.

It’s **exposure**.

You can’t know what you’ve never been shown.

---

## The Hidden Cost of Unquestioned Habits

Most autopilot habits aren’t dangerous—but they’re not neutral either.

They can lead to:

* Wasted time

* Extra effort

* Wear and tear

* Minor stress

* Long-term inefficiency

Individually, these costs are small.

Collectively, they shape:

* How tired you feel

* How much effort life seems to require

* How often things “just don’t work right”

That’s why learning one small correction often feels disproportionately impactful.

---

## Why We’re Especially Vulnerable as Adults

As children, we expect to be taught.

As adults, we assume we already know.

This creates a dangerous gap:

* We stop asking basic questions

* We avoid admitting uncertainty

* We equate not knowing with incompetence

So we don’t look things up.

We don’t test alternatives.

We don’t revisit assumptions.

We just keep doing.

---

## The Comfort of “Good Enough”

Another reason these habits stick is that they usually work **well enough**.

The dishwasher still cleans.

The food doesn’t spoil immediately.

The phone still charges.

The chair doesn’t collapse.

“Good enough” becomes the standard.

But “good enough” often hides:

* Better outcomes

* Easier methods

* Less wear

* More comfort

Until someone casually mentions:

> “Oh, you’re not supposed to do it that way.”

And suddenly, you can’t unsee it.

---

## Why These Moments Are Actually a Sign of Intelligence

Here’s the part people miss.

That thought—

**“I really don’t know anything about this!”**

—is not a failure.

It’s a cognitive upgrade.

It means:

* You’re updating a mental model

* You’re breaking autopilot

* You’re open to correction

* You’re flexible rather than defensive

Psychologists call this **learning readiness**.

It’s one of the strongest predictors of long-term competence.

---

## The Difference Between “Not Knowing” and “Not Noticing”

Most of the time, the issue isn’t lack of information.

It’s lack of attention.

We don’t notice:

* Inefficiency

* Small discomforts

* Repeated friction

Because they’re familiar.

Familiar discomfort feels normal.

Until someone points out:

> “You know there’s an easier way, right?”

---

## Why We React With Humor

People often laugh when they realize this.

Not because it’s funny—but because humor:

* Releases tension

* Protects ego

* Softens embarrassment

Laughing says:

> “I can handle this without shame.”

It’s a healthy response.

---

## The Social Media Effect: Why These Realizations Are Happening More Often

In recent years, more people are experiencing these moments because of:

* Short educational videos

* Casual demonstrations

* “Did you know?” content

* Behind-the-scenes explanations

We’re suddenly seeing:

* How professionals do things

* Why systems are designed certain ways

* What we misunderstood for years

And it’s revealing how much daily life runs on inherited habits.

---

## The “Everyone Else Knew” Illusion

One of the most painful thoughts is:

> “Does everyone else know this already?”

Almost always, the answer is **no**.

What’s happening is:

* A few people learn something

* They share it publicly

* It reaches you out of context

It *feels* like you’re late.

In reality, knowledge is unevenly distributed.

Always has been.

---

## Why Admitting “I Don’t Know” Is So Powerful

There’s a quiet confidence in saying:

> “I didn’t know that.”

It:

* Opens learning

* Reduces defensiveness

* Signals adaptability

Ironically, people who refuse to admit not knowing often stay stuck longer.

---

## How Small Corrections Create Outsized Relief

What’s fascinating is how small changes can create:

* Immediate ease

* Reduced frustration

* A sense of competence

That’s because friction had been draining energy silently.

Removing it feels like relief—not improvement.

---

## The Emotional Shift After Learning

After the initial surprise, many people feel:

* Empowered

* Calmer

* Slightly annoyed they didn’t know sooner

* Motivated to question other habits

This is the beginning of **conscious living**—not in a grand philosophical sense, but in a practical one.

---

## The Trap of “I Should Have Known Better”

This thought is unnecessary.

You only know:

* What you’ve been taught

* What you’ve been exposed to

* What you’ve questioned

Blame adds nothing.

Curiosity adds everything.

---

## Why This Keeps Happening (And Always Will)

No matter how much you learn, there will always be:

* Systems you don’t understand

* Habits you inherited

* Assumptions that go unchallenged

That’s not a flaw.

That’s being human in a complex world.

---

## Turning the Moment Into a Skill

Instead of cringing at these realizations, you can train yourself to use them.

When you catch yourself thinking:

> “I’ve been doing this all the time…”

Try adding:

> “…and now I know better.”

That reframes the moment as progress, not failure.

---

## Questions That Break Autopilot

Here are a few gentle questions that invite awareness without judgment:

* Why do I do it this way?

* Who taught me this?

* Is there a reason behind it?

* Does this still make sense?

* Is there friction I’ve normalized?

You don’t need to question everything—just enough to stay awake.

---

## The Quiet Joy of Knowing More Than Yesterday

There’s something deeply satisfying about:

* Doing something with intention

* Understanding cause and effect

* Feeling aligned with how things actually work

That satisfaction doesn’t come from perfection.

It comes from awareness.

---

## Final Thoughts

That moment—

**“I really don’t know anything about this! I’ve been doing this all the time too.”**

—isn’t embarrassing.

It’s human.

It’s the sound of autopilot switching off.

It’s the beginning of understanding.

It’s a reminder that learning doesn’t end when school does.

Every realization like this is proof that:

* You’re paying attention

* You’re adaptable

* You’re capable of change

And in a world that runs on unexamined habits, that awareness is quietly powerful.