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I Know It

So predominant and so pervasive, this syndrome has its own name.

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A friend of mine creates posts on Facebook under the caption: “Quotes from people who aren’t famous and don’t have cool pictures.” A couple of weeks ago, he posted, “Sometimes all we know is that we don’t know.” I replied, “And not knowing is a whole lot better than thinking you know it all.”


In my life coaching work, I often come face-to-face with a pattern of thinking that is so predominant and so pervasive that it has its own name – the “I Know It Syndrome.” Clients will pay their money, keep their appointments, but often the engagement stops there. Every principle discussed and every idea presented in the various programs often is met with an attitude of “I know that” or “I know it.” Take a look at the characteristics of the “I Know It Syndrome:

  1. The material or idea could be presented in a book, a lecture, or a conversation with your best friend. Regardless of the source and value, a filter in your brain immediately discounts it. You start thinking you know “whatever” so you only half listen, study, or read the material or information with only half your attention because you already know what you could, should, or must do to use the information or idea presented.

  2. The impact of the I Know It Syndrome gets worse when you do things diametrically opposed to what you say you know. Your actions do not line up with your thoughts and conversations. If you know that a certain food is not good for your body, yet you eat it anyway, then you are living the I Know It Syndrome. If you would like life to be different in anyway, yet there is some excuse for any new action, then you may be held hostage by your mind’s “I know it” filter.

  3. Frustration, confusion, depression, hopelessness, and lethargy set in when the outer results are opposite the intended outcome, and you don’t understand why this has happened. After all, your spiritual teachers tell you that thoughts held in your mind create outcomes similar to those thoughts. You are lacking a major component of the process – your thoughts did not translate into action to support the desired outcome.

  4. You return full circle to the beginning, searching for another class, another book, another diet, another guru, healer, or program to fix what you can see is broken, yet you can’t seem to identify the cause, because you already “know it.”

Discovery Question – How often do you say, “I know it” or “I know that”? Never, rarely, occasionally, or often?


Transformation and positive change begins with an open mind. The filter within your mind that shuts out new ideas and possibilities is that part of you that doesn’t want anything to change, even if you are not happy with your current results. This week, be aware of when you may say or think, “I know it” or “I know that.” Then ask yourself, would I like anything to be different here? Am I willing to challenge the “I know it” filter and actually do something different in order to achieve different results?

If you want help with this process and your personal development, schedule a free consultation with me.