From Further Secrets of Adulthood: You know as much as most people.

“I know as much as most people” is something that I remind myself when I’m confounded by an instruction manual, or by an app, or by some procedure I’m supposed to follow, or when I don’t know the meaning of a word, or I haven’t heard of some “well-known” figure.

I remind myself that if I can’t figure something out, I shouldn’t beat myself up about it.

This Secret of Adulthood is important to me, because I’m often reluctant to admit that I don’t know something or don’t know how to do something. I think I “should” know. This often happens so quickly that I don’t realize that I’m consciously doing it — only later, I think, “Why didn’t I ask…?” or “I never did quite understand…”

Now I remind myself: I know as much as most people, so I shouldn’t feel sheepish about asking about things I don’t know.