or do you not know what you know?
In another blog's comments, I mentioned something about "he not only didn't know it, he didn't know that he didn't know it." Here I will take the opportunity, for those of you who are unaware of it, to expound upon the theory behind that statement.
Basically this theory (whose source, unfortunately, I do not recall) breaks things into 4 levels of competence, which is further refined into two levels of awareness and two of knowledge, linked together thus:
| | Ignorant | Educated |
| Unconscious | Unconscious Ignorant | Unconscious Educated |
| Conscious | Conscious Ignorant | Conscious Educated |
Your competence level moves around this little table in a "U" pattern.
The person that I referred to in the other comment fell into the "Unconscious Ignorant" section. Not only did he not know the subject matter, he was not aware that there was something that he needed to know about. This level is referred to as "Incompetent." (Or "Ignoramus", "Doofus", or other fun but not very nice terms.)
The next level up is "Conscious Ignorant." This person doesn't know the subject matter, but he knows that he lacks information. He can at least seek help from someone who does have knowledge. This level is called "Beginner" or "Apprentice."
After that you get to "Conscious Educated." This person does know the subject matter, but has to think about it to apply it. He is not necessarily versed in all details and esoterica, but he can, with effort, figure it out and get reasonable results. This level is called "Journeyman."
Finally, there's "Unconscious Educated." Here the individual is well-attuned to the subject matter; using the knowledge is second nature and comes without effort. This person is hardly ever stumped, and can solve the most intractable-seeming of problems with relative ease. This level is called "Master."