Just some random thoughts about research, learning, and being okay with not knowing everything.
Let me share something interesting..
I recently came across an old article written by Martin A. Schwartz in 2008. The title really caught my attention.
“The Importance of Stupidity in Scientific Research.”
Stupidity? In research? Seriously?
At first, the title sounds a bit funny. We always think researchers, especially PhD students, must be very clever people. They read thick books, write complicated papers, and talk about things that sometimes even Google cannot explain properly. Haha.
But this article made me think.
Maybe we have misunderstood what being a researcher really means.
You see, when we were in school, being smart usually meant knowing the correct answer.
Teacher asks a question. We answer correctly. We get good marks. Everybody happy.
But research is a different game.
In research, sometimes even your supervisor doesn't know the answer. Your professors may not know either. And that's perfectly normal.
Because if everybody already knows the answer, then what exactly are we researching?
Think about that for a while.
I remember during my own PhD journey, there were times when I felt completely lost.
Read one journal article, suddenly another five questions appeared.
Thought I understood something, then came another theory that made me confused again.
Sometimes I wondered, "Am I really doing a PhD, or am I just discovering how much I don't know?" 😂
And the funny thing is, the more we read, the more we realise how little we actually know.
Schwartz calls this productive stupidity.
Sounds strange, right?
But the meaning is actually beautiful.
It means we are brave enough to explore something we don't understand yet.
We ask questions. We make mistakes. We try again. Sometimes we get things wrong. Sometimes we spend days looking for an answer, only to discover that we were asking the wrong question from the beginning.
Frustrating? Of course lah.
But that's how learning happens.
One thing I really like about this article is the reminder that research is not about proving how clever we are.
It's about having the courage to admit that we don't know.
And believe me, saying "I don't know" is not always easy, especially when people expect you to know everything just because you are doing a PhD.
But actually, there is nothing wrong with not knowing.
The problem only starts when we pretend to know, or when we stop trying to learn.
Sometimes, our ego becomes a bigger obstacle than the research itself.
We are so afraid of looking stupid that we become afraid to ask questions.
And when we stop asking questions, we stop growing.
Simple as that.
Looking back at my own PhD journey, I realise something.
Perhaps those moments when I felt most confused were also the moments when I was learning the most.
Not because I suddenly became smarter overnight.
But because I slowly learned to be comfortable with uncertainty.
To accept that I don't need to have all the answers today.
I just need to keep searching.
And maybe that is one of the most valuable lessons a PhD can teach us.
Not how to become the smartest person in the room.
But how to remain curious, humble, and willing to learn, even when we think we already know enough.
So, to anyone currently doing research, especially my fellow PhD candidates, don't be too hard on yourself.
If today you feel lost, take a break.
If you don't understand something, ask.
If your research doesn't work, try another way.
And if you feel stupid sometimes, welcome to the club. Haha.
Just remember, feeling stupid doesn't automatically mean we are making progress. We still need to put in the effort, think carefully, and learn from our mistakes.
But don't let that feeling stop you.
Because sometimes, the most important discovery begins with three simple words.
"I don't know."
And perhaps the real beauty of education is not that we finally know everything.
It's that we become humble enough to realise we never will.
A PhD may give us the title of Doctor. But the real achievement is knowing that we will always remain students of life.
Just my two cents. 😊
Inspired by Martin A. Schwartz (2008), “The Importance of Stupidity in Scientific Research,” Journal of Cell Science, 121(11), 1771.
https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.033340
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