It is fairly easy to think we know something, and it is just as simple to notice how little one most often knows about it.

That is if one doesn’t jump to conclusions. Or if one notices when beliefs intervene. Which isn’t as easy as it might sound. I remember discussing the way our respective clubs organized themselves with some colleagues. And despite sharing that I didn’t know all the details of how different roles are being dealt with, it was difficult for my colleague to leave that detail as an unknown. It was important for him to make an assessment and use it as knowledge.

I could have asked questions about his assessment, but I didn’t. It felt that doing so would have been too confronting. But as my reaction ended up feeling quite confronting too, I realized that I hadn’t been clear enough about my intention and the why of my reaction.

It was as Mortimer Adler described it: “The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.”

I believed I had an understanding of what I had been doing and why. But it wasn’t the case.

That’s what reflection can help with. Take a past situation and notice how much of it was known and intended. Understanding the background, the objective, or the impact of the unconscious may take more time.