“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.
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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.

Do you do this? Try to cover up a lack of knowledge?

Gretchen Rubin is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Happiness Project—an account of the year she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier—and the recently released Happier at Home and Better Than Before. On her popular blog, The Happiness Project, she reports on her daily adventures in the pursuit of happiness. For more doses of happiness and other happenings, follow Gretchen on Facebook and Twitter.

Image courtesy of Skitter Photo.