Summary

The article discusses the author's realization of their own snobbery in dismissing new information and learning opportunities with the phrase "I know that already," and the transformative impact of overcoming this mindset.

Abstract

The author candidly admits to being a snob, not in the traditional sense of superior taste or intellect, but in a subtler form that manifests through dismissing new information as already known. This realization came during a goal-setting exercise, where an email about a time-management course by Tim Grahl, despite initial reluctance, led to significant personal insights. The course, "The Productive Writer," proved to be a turning point, challenging the author's preconceived notions and enriching their approach to time management. The author emphasizes that while experience and education are valuable, they should not lead to a closed mindset. Instead, the author suggests rekindling curiosity, active listening, removing dismissive phrases from one's vocabulary, and practicing humility to avoid the trap of intellectual snobbery and to embrace continuous learning.

Opinions

The author believes that the phrase "I know that already" is a subtle form of snobbery that hinders learning and growth.
Experience and education are important but should not be used as excuses to dismiss new ideas or information.
The author values the lessons learned from the course "The Productive Writer" by Tim Grahl, which provided a new perspective on time management.
The article suggests that overcoming the "I know that already" mindset can lead to a more open, curious, and humble approach to learning.
The author encourages readers to share their own strategies for avoiding intellectual snobbery and to foster a life filled with curiosity and continuous learning.

Are you a snob?

What “I already know that” really means

I am a snob.

I hate to admit it.

I’m a snob.

This is not the usual ‘I have better taste than they do’ or the ‘I am smarter than they are.’

No, this is much more insidious.

It sneaks up on you so slowly that you don’t even know it’s happening.

What is it, you ask?

Well, it goes by many names — age, experience, smart, educated. It’s the thing that lets you say ‘I know that already.’

‘I know that already’ closes the door to opportunities and learning faster than a toupee in a hurricane. It gives you permission to skip through sections, skimming the surface of the author’s work.

A Surprise Unfolds

The sneaky way these words showed themselves was during goal-setting one year. My inbox was flooded with offers for courses to help me accomplish them. The delete button works well on those.

One of those e-mails was from Tim Grahl — a book marketing expert who works with Steven Pressfield and Shawn Coyne. His blog “booklaunch.com” is filled with amazing information.

He was offering a time-management course called “The Productive Writer.” I’d done a multitude of these with mixed results.

Even with all of the time management training, getting my writing stuff done has always been a challenge. I left the e-mail in my inbox. Something about it kept drawing me back. Eventually, I signed up.

The Results

As soon as I started, I knew this course was different.

The “Aha” floodgates opened and they didn’t close after the course. New things I was trying had a gazillion moments of “I know that already” attached to them.

That’s when I realized that I had turned into a snob. I was discounting information I had seen before and in doing that, I was limiting myself to what I knew and discounting new ways to do things.

To this day, I still use parts of that course.

Takeaways

Does this mean that age, experience, smartness, and education shouldn’t be worn with honour? Absolutely not. A life lived and the lessons learned are what makes each one of us unique and interesting.

It gives us a reference point for new things and in some cases, will take away the fear. It does not, however, give us a license to be a snob.

Here are some suggestions to avoid falling into the “I know that already” trap:

Re-activate your curiosity — I was curious about what Tim had to say about a subject that is, frankly, flooded with experts. Because I was, I now have a new way of managing my time that meets my needs.
Actively listen to what is being said — Make a point to set aside focused time for courses, webcasts, and podcasts with no distractions. I have learned new tips and tricks that I would have missed if I had listened to it with the ‘I know that already’ mindset.
Remove the sentence ‘I know that already’ from your vocabulary. As soon as I did this, I became open to learning things (even some that I had seen before) in a whole new way.
Practice humility — Snobbery is a form of arrogance. Combat arrogance by doing 1, 2, and 3 above.

I promise you that you will learn lots of new things.

Leave me a comment on how you overcame the “I know that already” snobbery. Always looking for new ways to learn.

May your days be filled with curiosity.