Ask HN: How do you know when you know something?

[_jpys]

After reading a few "Who wants to be hired" threads, I began wondering...

How do you measure/benchmark your knowledge/skillset?

This has been a long-term pain point for me. Given the prevalence of "imposter syndrome", I imagine this is a problem for others too.

[oomun]

This is a great question. I think knowing something for me is related to being able see the next move. I am also a chess player and a rock climber. I know how to climb and how to play chess. I know I know these things because I have the experience to analyze a position and make decisions in the present based of my understanding of the most probable futures. This knowing is from experience and relates to my career. I am a software developer and I know I know how to do this (a little bit, also have heavy imposter syndrome at times lol) because I can visualize multiple steps of a process.

Not just at high level either. Like I know detailed step-by-step, line-by-line, character-by-character even, instructions for how to accomplish certain tasks and, possibly more importantly, instructions for how to resolve certain issues.

In a state of uncertainty, I cannot foresee the next moment in a sequence of events. That, for me, is a difference between knowing and not knowing.

[_jpys → oomun]

"I know how to climb and how to play chess."

This resonated with me as I've been both too. I preferred bouldering but both climbs start by assessing the problem and identifying the crux and transition points. The rest is really just experience.

"In a state of uncertainty, I cannot foresee the next moment in a sequence of events. That, for me, is a difference between knowing and not knowing."

I like this a lot. Well said and thanks for sharing.

[version_five]

Work with other people. As opposed to looking at how people present themselves. I often see "experts" in things that have very superficial knowledge and qualifications.

Or people who claim to be proficient at, say Word or Excel because they've used them and they're generally easy to use. But if you go watch professional financial modeling people work with excel, you'll realize you don't know anything.

[gjvc]

When you can explain it to someone else without fumbling or glossing over the details.