"I Don't Know" is often the Best Answer. Here’s Why.

[@ArtandAudacity]

Practicing admitting when I don't know things has improved my life immensely. I don't say anywhere near as many stupid things, spread less misinformation, and find myself taking the initiative to look up answers more often.

[@lonestarr1490]

That's actually one of the first steps you have to take when becoming a scientist. We know so few about the inner workings of the universe it's kinda ludicrous that anything we do happens to work at all. Like, if you consider the set of all possible objective truths and you pick one at random, then it will almost surely be one that we don't know or at least are not certain about. This is even true for mathematics, where things are no matter for debate but are either true or false. But we have to prove them to be certain that they're true. And that's the point: In the grand scheme of things we can actually prove so little that every proof we do find is basically a miracle, as the great Alex Kontorovich put it in Veritasium's recent video about the Collatz conjecture. So yeah: as a scientist I'd say you're on the right track.

[@sawdustadikt979]

I’ve found that being quick to say “I don’t know” and looking into right away is a bit of a super power. I know to many fellas that CAN NOT ADMIT THEY DONT KNOW. And it’s nauseating, watching them make stuff up instead of using that library in their pocket. My son is 10 now, and he asks really, really good questions. He knows if I cant answer him, the phone or tablet is coming out and we will find out together, which usually inspires a experiment or project that we will get into at some point if not immediately.

[@kmontitaylor]

You have no idea how much I needed this. My whole life I've been told to be the best or don't even try. I've felt like a total failure my whole life. I've been indecisive about literally everything because I'm afraid to keep "failing." That archer's perspective you spoke about and expanded on probably just changed my whole future. It's not about the bullseye, but about taking aim and letting it fly. Thank you.

[@lindsay3917]

I also struggle with being indecisive, and I found Ruth Chang's TED talk to be really helpful.

[@yutba]

You and your wife are such a refreshing couple to see on KZbin, big hugs to you both :)

[@hambonefakenamington69]

they're how i wanna be when/if i'm in a relationship

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

They never got married; he wanted a pre-nup, remember? But he was joking, you say? How can you be certain? See, I watched the video.

[@FrankyMelon]

Oh, his wife is in this video, great! I'm only watching because of her (JK) (am i) (maybe or maybe not) (uncertain)

[@Brooklyn_]

Agree!

[@RangerBeef]

The Army taught me, "I don't know, but I'll find out." You can absolutely not know something but if someone thinks you should know it, you should go learn it.

[@friedrich_nietzsche.]

As they say, there is no shame in not knowning, the shame lies in not finding out.

[@allieyates557]

Thank you for your service! Also, I learned that early on in my career and I wholeheartedly agree you can always find out yourself.

[@TheArtofKAS]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@urouroniwa]

"Don't be afraid of uncertainty" has two negatives in it. "Be afraid of certainty". I'd like to see a video about that.

[@fdagpigj]

As Sokrates put it, the only thing that made him wiser than other men, was that he knew how little he actually knows.

[@sgordon8123]

You should have a go!

[@NeoRichardBlake]

Being willing to say "I don't know," and roll with it, is a big part of having an open mind-set. Quite necessary for effective learning.

[@danielr5343]

@@rodgerfox3 "I don't know yet" could be better. I use it more often.

[@Margles349]

To be honest, Trinity saying “Get up, Trinity. Get. Up.” is something I think about when I’m feeling hopeless. Maybe I can’t fight the agents today- but I can outrun them

[@smm855]

I really needed this today. Thanks :)

[@tiashiraz8430]

I like that.👍

[@eduardopatricio]

You're the best in handling stock footage. Ever.

[@smurph1043]

"Purpose" is such a grandiose word/idea and I think people get too caught up in it. I spent most of my 20's severely depressed and questioned my "purpose" and the meaning in continuing to live as a "failure" by the standards that society and those around us portray as the right way to live. When you lack purpose and feel the growing pressure in your youth to find yourself, but for whatever reason you can't seem to fit the goals and progress of others, it can tear you down and put in in a defeated mindset. While finding purpose in life may work for some, others should ignore the idea. Accepting that not everyone has some grand purpose and that just making it to the next day, surviving! This is enough, you don't owe anyone more than that, give what you can but being an animal trying to survive is what Humans did for thousands of years before we were blessed with the freedoms of today. I went on a tangent and honestly my reply isn't a criticism of your video more of the word purpose in general. I think they way you outlined finding purpose can be quite useful to some and I enjoy your content still after all these years so keep up the good work pal.

[@ptyleranodon3081]

IMHO, I think 'purpose' can be as simple as discerning what you value and seeking how to live by those principles. I agree that the word does come with a lot of baggage as it is often inferred that your 'purpose' is somehow assigned by some external force to meet some expectations by people who aren't you. But I think that's a flawed interpretation. You know yourself better than anyone else ever could. Why shouldn't it come from you?

[@djdawso]

In spite of your best efforts to hide it you're a refreshingly thoughtful and insightful person, Craig. Thanks for all the effort you put into making such wonderful videos!

[@MaraJadeSkky]

THIS! I don't understand why people are so scared to just admit they don't know! It's okay to not know, but it's not okay to claim you know it all. You can't grow if you think you know it all.

[@missrobinhoodie]

Whenever I said „I don’t know, I genuinely don’t know“ my ex accused me of hiding or suppressing something… he said I should be honest with and reflect on myself even more than I already did. I almost went crazy of the amount of self-reflection I did. Long story short: The right people will accept your „I don’t know“ and can live with uncertainty.

[@adamhendrix8235]

This is not the point of this video BUT I've recently been saying "I don't know" a lot to people and it has been pretty nice. I guess I've always have been a people-pleaser, so even if I didn't know something, I’ll run with a task and give it 110% despite knowing very little about what I’m being asked to take on…however I realized I was getting swamped with random tasks that I probably should not have been handling in the first place. So, if I genuinely don’t have an answer, I make a point to say “I don’t know” and let the other person take that extra step to ask me for my help if they still need it. That way, I set the bar to a more realistic level for myself, and it gives the other person the opportunity to take their request to someone else if they need someone more knowledgeable to tackle that specific problem. I assumed this was the direction he was going at first, so I just wanted to share my experience with being outwardly honest and saying “I don’t know” to others is also a pretty healthy way of dealing with stress as well.

[@wronglayerbutok]

Setting boundaries is life changing!

[@StacyForest738]

Yes! I worked with a super smart surgeon. Sometimes when a patient would ask but why does my ankle (or whatever) hurt, etc...his answer was, I don't know but we will do some tests blah blah blah. And I loved that he was confident enough to say, I don't know. It gave me confidence to do the same...normalize I don't know.

[@sgsax]

One thing is certain: every time I watch a WheezyWaiter video, I am entertained and I learn something. You always make me think. Tell Craig with a Wig he did great on the last half of this one. Thanks for sharing!

[@DarkbutNotsinister]

“I don’t know, but I can find the answer” has always worked for me.

[@tanmaykumar6856]

6:42 But then after that I did get up and eat poop. You were seriously in the zone dude

[@aasa_]

where have you been? we started to get worried. welcome back!

[@doyney]

Hi Craig! Been watching since you did ‘The whale is not enough’ with Charlieissocoollike. Love the direction you’ve taken with the channel in recent years :)

[@wheezywaiter]

That was such a fun video to make.

[@laurenj.3238]

I love this dude. How is he not famous yet.

[@sigitang9398]

It's always wonderful to find content that share your underepresented values. I have a deeply methodic and scientific bedrock in my mind that helps me navigate this muddy world. People around me tend to value boundless (and often unjustified) trust, faith etc. And look down on the most humble and beautiful act about knowledge : saying "I don't know". Thanks, i feel a bit less lonely today !

[@patriciar2946]

'We Like Lists Because We Don't Want to Die' - Umberto Eco

[@neuemilch8318]

my man you are truly the father of dad jokes. i take my hat off to you.

[@galaxygg8996]

My goal is to be that one guy in the comments quoting people “Pooping is the most important value in a warrior” Sun Tzu

[@plusbonus1165]

I think it was actually Taylor Swift in regards to ' Shake it off '. True that !

[@syedmuhammadwajihulhassan5975]

I've been watching wheezy waiter since i was 12, Now I am a grown man. These videos always bring me joy and laughter but the great thing is that I always feel like I'm coming out of the video a better person. Thanks Craig

[@gregarmstrong2500]

Sometimes I forget how wonderful and wholesome and fun this channel is. Then I watch a video and smile.

[@RoughingItWithRuth]

This is such a great take on the whole "striving for perfection is counter-productive" thing. Thank you!

[@rebeccalindgren9025]

I wholeheartedly accept this concept. I work at a restaurant and I took someone’s order and they asked for no cheese in their burritos. So I paid extra close attention when the cook was making their burritos and I verbally confirmed with her that there was no cheese and I took the order out to the guest. But when she asked I still couldn’t say there was no cheese with absolute certainty. So I lied and said “yes definitely no cheese” and hoped they weren’t allergic!😅

[@rebeccalindgren9025]

I think I would make a good lawyer. I can point out uncertainty all day!!

[@alisalarsen9163]

Thank you for sharing the archery’s mindset with me! I needed that

[@whyteej]

I took on this mantra when I was young but now I think it just incubates indecision and deters having strong opinions. Maybe it's good advice for people who go over the top in the other direction, but I'm trying to shake it.

[@sketchur]

Me, too! Even as an adult at 31, I'm trying to shake it.

[@lawrencevaliquette]

Very stoic points indeed. Loved the video. “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” - Epictetus

[@PsychoKiller24601]

One night after some mild underage drinking, we were picked up by my friend's mother who quizzed him on whether he had been drinking. Fearing our geese to be imminently cooked with the only option of a yes or no answer, my friend pulled a legendary "I don't know!" out of the bag and saved our hides!

[@cliftut]

Am I dense or is this a joke? Did that really work? I doesn't sound like it should have worked. :)

[@ksspang]

I just can't wait until I'm a space baby!

[@theactualcanadian8300]

This video helped me stop having a panic attack. THANKS CRAAAAIG,

[@loveblooom]

I’m so glad you still make videos. You add something to my life. Thank you.

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

You are welcome

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

‪+➊➏➏➒➋➍➑➋➏⓿➍‬

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

Hit me up

[@rodrigobertoa5916]

Uncertainty generates stress at an instinctive level. i think i heard Robert Sapolsky saying that when people gather in groups where it started to be normal to bump on unknown people every day, that stresss generated by the uncertainty generated the need for religious believes ( as religion is a great anti stress placebo )

[@makingwithsteve]

Craig is the space baby at the center of my universe

[@TalLikesThat]

that sounds like some really good advice. Sadly, my anxiety makes me fear the unknown like it's the plague, and my depression makes my goals and aspirations... not very good for my health...

[@kephalai]

i used to preface a lot of what i said with "i dunno.." until one day my boss gave me a talk pointing out that it made me sound very non committal about everything i say and came off as not genuine the philosophy is sound, but try not to say it out loud lol

[@NeoRichardBlake]

LOL Yeah, it's not an ideal workplace phrase, but I've found that if you couple it with a willingness to find the answer, it comes out better. Not knowing should be a beginning state, not and end state. :)

[@Noukz37]

Hey, I've been using this "philosophy" for years now I've been calling it the power of the "maybe". I never cared less about opinions so much in my life, including mine. :-)

[@rach2.2]

The only person I watch do sponsor spiels. I usually fast forward through them. But his are always so entertaining.

[@ericwiese7479]

You two are good genuine peeps! Thank you

[@GidgetSwim72]

This is a mind-blower and life-changer for me. Had to pause and take a moment to appreciate the video after the your explanation of the Archer’s Principal. If I can remember that, my work related anxiety and my social anxiety could decrease immensely because in both of those arenas, every decision feels all-or-nothing for me. Oh. My. Gosh. I could get points for taking the shot?! 😲

[@KCRambles]

Looong time subscriber/viewer/Wheezy-thusiast... and this whole video felt like the Wheezy that drew me to the channel in the first place (while in no way feeling stagnant or repetitive or redundant or redundant). And, on top of it all... a truly great topic/thesis/concept (of which I am also a long time ascriber/observer/uncertainty-thusiast). Love your work. Keep On Keepin' On sir! :)

[@maccadole]

I love this. Years ago I was reading a fan fiction story, out of all things, and read the line "Living with uncertainty has all sort of benefits." I've taken that with me since then. My first interpretation of this was when I was going to Stockholm alone shortly after reading said story. I was nervous and stressed about not having a friend there to help me find my way and be moral support. But, on the other hand, being on my own that meant that I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and however I wanted. So in that way, being alone in a different city led let me to realize there were indeed some benefits to that uncertainty.

[@joshmason179]

Great vid! The Dalai Lama says "I don't know" very often, and he always talks about compassion and kindness. When we sit comfortably in uncertainty, the not-knowing feeling, it gives us the freedom to be kind-hearted to ourselves and others. Thanks Wheezy :)

[@oz_jones]

*Llama

[@1Eilatan]

The best thing about Craig's purpose being to make a well-done, one size fits all toilet for his family is that he's actively trying to make them embrace a bidet. He's been actively living his purpose for years.

[@catramme]

I just started watching this and already I am getting the impression that overall, you, my friend, are a philosopher.

[@tiaraono7668]

"All that you touch you Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God Is Change." - Octavia Butler Uncertainty is a by product of change I feel, so I relate the unknowable nature of the future to the fact that change is constant. I embraced the fictional text from the book Parable of the sewer, "Earthseed the book of the living" whole heartily after reading that book. Its all about how change is unstoppable and unknowable but through our actions we can be prepared and shape it's direction. While I don't think God is Change I think it is the strongest force in the universe. I can't know what is coming but i can at least prep for the possibilities and do what i can to encourage the change that i want. Butler changed my entire outlook on life with a fictional religion and a book inside of a book. And it has helped me through so many tough times.

[@goronska]

Archer's Mindset just made a timely landing in my life with this video. Thanks, Wheezy!

[@Nootlest]

Crazy stuff. Haven't been here in a while. Been here since baaaaack in the day

[@MrRabidtroll]

What is certain is that finding new topics for a long running KZbin channel is tough.

[@realisticequestrian8229]

I love saying it to my students (they're usually grade 2s so 7-8 years old haha). They look at me as though they're surprised and impressed at the same time. "Let's find out." We love going on learning tangents 🤣

[@benedictifye]

I like what Tom Segura said (in his special "Ball Hog") "As long as you accept that your dream might not go exactly as you planned, you will still feel fulfilled by the pursuit of your dream. So always go after whatever you wanna do; otherwise, what's the point in living, right?"

[@BlackHayateTheThird]

Omg, laughed so much during this, and I needed exactly this. Thank you

[@nina-mill]

What perfect timing for this video to come into my feed. Thanks, Craig! You're the bestest.💫✨🌟

[@emmet5851]

I just rejected a job offer for my first out of college job. I don't know if I made the right choice but I gotta live with it.

[@eaterdrinker000]

Well, good luck to you!

[@TylerZed]

I can't believe Wheezy 1 ended up in the Alligator Pit. Poetic...

[@james4thedoctor482]

Looking forward to the Entomophagy!

[@Melanie_M]

I think it's also about knowing when it's time to say I don't know. When I'm really anxious or emotional about among other things the uncertainties of life, I do consciously remind myself to say I don't know and not make decisions until I feel better psychologically and am better informed. If I'm in my area of expertise and I feel good and have lots of experience, I don't always need to say I don't know. A certain level of trust in yourself is healthy.

[@kroselavy]

Oh lmao I’ve been saying for the past weeks « I might go with my friends on vacation » even though we kind of planned everything but I wasn’t sure everything would go according to plan so I kept saying « we might go » and one of my friend told be to be more assertive, turns out we couldn’t go and I was prepared to that so I wasn’t disappointed

[@VictorGarcia-si8wy]

Dude have you always used this much stock footage? It's fucking hilarious and I love it.

[@markg.3171]

Very interesting information to consider, thanks a ton for the gathered knowledge and also beautifully sprinkled with humour and creativity. Love it, watching it again to see the details

[@atc35012]

Lists and Post-It notes! 🙂👍

[@TheArtofKAS]

👁👄👁. Yes .....I Love this. Awesome work as usual. Being uncertain is honestly fun in a chaotic way and yet another reason why I love archery. It teaches you to shoot what you aim for, even if you miss the mark the first time.

[@WMfin]

Wheezy is such a gift

[@markflopresti]

My grandma told me to say “I’m not sure”. But same shit.

[@ktmnumber23]

Dude you’re awesome. Thanks for making me laugh while giving helpful, usable tips. Also, great sneaky Taking Back Sunday reference. Very appreciated.

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

You are welcome

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

‪+①⑥⑥⑨②④⑧②⑥⓪④‬

[@Hundreddollardolphin]

Wondrium: For when you say “Um, I wonder” Always happy to see a new video from you. Hope to see more on Wheezy News too!

[@ryanparker3265]

I'm a simple man- I see new Wheezy video, I watch.

[@ForeverYoked]

Please write a book. Then record it so I can listen to it because I won't read it. Something like "Wheezy Waiter; serving you breath."

[@DaivG]

I did a spit-take on the Taking Back Sunday reference. You win this round, Craig. I’m going to clean up my phone and be ready for the next video.

[@SerenityReceiver]

2 is the opposite of 1....if you acknowledge uncertainty, there is not much point in pre-planning/informing yourself...

[@sarcasmo57]

Yeah.. I don't know.

[@aeward1982]

I say "I don't know" sooo many times every day.. Is this really something people don't say enough!? I get told I'm pessimistic because I am realistic and I'm not.. I just prepare for the potential issues and I'm pleasantly happy when things go right..

[@MattSwain1]

Be realistic about the worst case scenario. We often talk ourselves out of trying new things because we obsess about the worst case scenario but as with the archers principle it’s much more likely that we’ll at least hit some part of the target as opposed to firing and killing a random passerby!

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Learn this. NOW!

[@sgordon8123]

When I say this it seems to make other people mad. And they repeat the question more and more aggressively. Then I get told that I am too logical. Well ... I am happy.

[@paula2838]

I don't know, probably the sentence I use most due to anxiety and overstimulation and overwhelm. Therefore I use it in situations it is considered normal to know an answer, and people around me are like "you should know" and I just... I don't, I don't know

[@AlexAlex]

People get annoyed when I look stuff up online quickly instead of talking uneducated nonsense with them aka talking shiiii

[@Ratsfrom42]

Ever want to be blackout drunk? Take a shot every time he says "uncertainty"

[@JamesDuckettAuthor]

Great video!! I may skip the future bug eating video. Or might catch it. I don't know.

[@letshaveanormalname6325]

Youre so smart man I needed this today

[@BeanbagAmerika]

Wheezy 2's luscious locks distracted me through the whole last third of this video, but it did remind me how much I miss all the clone gags from the olden times.

[@alex-mn9tg]

Kinda hard to not be afraid to not know while in school ;-;

[@Wanooknox]

This video helped me learn to spell uncertianty better. Not perfectly, but better.

[@lilawagner3726]

Just a word--disappointment has only one "s."

[@a.boston160]

Genuinely lol’d about the one size fits all family toilet.

[@michaeldonaldson6923]

Found you tonight. And down the rabbit hole we goooooo!!!!

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

Thanks 😊

[@PìnnedbyAlienlike-v7g]

‪+①⑥⑥⑨②④⑧②⑥⓪④‬

[@StuiB08]

The day has finally come where I can check "Craig rhymes 'osprey' with 'latte'" off my bingo card. Thanks, Craig!

[@TortuousAugur]

5:09 - oh it's one of those videos...

[@isitfridayyet]

Once you’ve mastered “I don’t know”, kick it up a notch and add “…yet.”

[@CGingerbreadman]

Lol, a Jerk reference. Those are far and few between, and I appreciate it.

[@cliftut]

Yeah, I think school has done people a disservice by labeling words and phrases like "maybe", "I think", etc. as "weasel words". At least "I seem to recall" that's where I learned the phrase, hah! Honesty and humility are closely related traits. Why give kids the idea they should avoid using words that help them to remain honest and humble? Obviously they can be misused, but that's a character issue in the worst case, not the result of failing to "discourage weasel words"! And making yourself look completely insecure is a different matter, also, not the words' fault!

[@nevafitzgerald2402]

I love you guys welcome back I missed your videos😇

[@NN-fz4pd]

Respect to Chyna for saying shes out when prenups were mentioned

[@mr5elfde5truct]

I have a very basic understanding of the rules of hockey but was watching the NHL with my "die hard fan" sister in law. In asking her very basic questions I pretty quickly realized she didn't know the answers, but she'd give you some sort of vague answer regardless. My wife picked up on this and so asked even more questions. At no point did my SIL say "I don't know." The answers just got increasingly vague and absurd- including a lot of "well it all depends... Sometimes, like ya know, but it just depends." It's interesting how these are usually the same people that refuse to admit they were wrong about anything.

[@NeoRichardBlake]

Then when I watch basically any sport for 5 minutes, I'll usually utter, "I have no idea what's going on here." Being dragged into watching longer yields many, "What?"s and "Why?"s. I tend to feel like you should be able to understand what went wrong just by watching. If you can't learn rules by watching a thing performed, it's probably a over-complicated. At least a bit... Maybe... I don't know...

[@feelovenergy]

There is a really good book called Not Knowing by Peter Ralston, I would suggest you read it since you love knowing about how not to know. It's slightly similar to this video, but goes much deeper in the subject.

[@mjmsdcs]

I’m only commenting to share my appreciation for the S-Tier “The Jerk” reference.