The 5-minute Theory

If everyone were willing to put aside their emotional switch in their brain in an effort to gain more knowledge and experience, the 5-minute theory would not be necessary. However, such is not the case. Most people are more concerned with maintaining their image at all costs, thus eliminating many opportunities to learn and earn for the future.

When standing in a crowd of "knowledgeable" people who are discussing an intellectual topic (such as the economic swirl in the Greek Islands), and all of a sudden the spotlight is put on you, how do you respond? This theory encourages you to quickly and immediately admit a lack of knowledge and hand the torch off to others who may know more.

In many cases, someone put in this position would probably go home and commit suicide because of the humiliation they've just experienced. This theory strongly encourages us to remember, we can't be an expert at everything and people respect those who quickly admit what they know and what they don't know. It is far wiser to admit that you don't know and spend 5-minutes learning new information than it is to fake knowledge and spend the next 3 months humiliated over the fact that you didn't know what they were talking about. Gain confidence in what you do know and don't worry about what you don't know. Be willing to admit it and learn, learn, learn.

Five minutes of embarrassment and humiliation will give you a lifetime of new knowledge. And the truth is, the 5-minutes of embarrassment is only there if you let it be. Forget it as quickly as possible for everyone else has forgotten it much quicker. You can be assured of that.