I think it's a general thing with highly capable persons in expert and highly intellectual domains that eventually you kinda figure out what Socrates actually meant with "All I know is that I know nothing"

Ah yes the paradox of knowledge. The more you learn, the more you learn how much more there is to learn

Intellectual curiosity is the true barometer; you either thirst to know more, or you're content with ignorance.

I was arguing with a engineer two weeks ago about systems. I never met him before. But he had a few drinks and interrupted our conversation. And I nearly lost my shit because of how confident this guy was speaking, saying obvious things and being vague, while not saying anything at all. Like, "This system isn't good at all! We should all follow Clean Code principles!"

Then someone pulled me aside and said, "Go easy on the guy. He's only been in the industry for a year."

And I did feel bad. But also like, my dude... You are going to wake up to realizing you know nothing about everything.

Me at 34 with no post secondary education: I wish i could afford to goto school

Graduated and am working as a junior engineer and I basically feel like I have a mountain of stuff I need to learn, I can see I've grown since I started a year ago but man is there still so much for me to learn

I have come to realize a PhD just means you have spent a lot of time thinking about what you are doing.

Doesn't mean what you are doing is smart really. Just well thought about.

The more you know, the more you know what you don't know. People who know nothing often think they know everything.

Everyone is just making it up as we go along.

Be skeptical of anyone who claims they have the answer.

Coming out of my undergrad I definitely did not feel that. I think it should be relabeled to high-school and undergrad is I feel SO dumb

I've been this way my whole life. I learn something new and realize I don't know shit.

wisdom is understanding what we dont know

The last one is me with only an associates except I'm licensed under that associates to provide health services and that just makes idiots of us all on a daily and often even hourly basis. "You put what in your where now? ...and why did I go to school to be the person you call to get it back out???"

"All I know is that I know nothing."

I disagree. Most people seem dumb, but there are select few which are incredibly genius.

Like, I heard of a model theorist who produces quality papers every month or so. Then there is also Andrew Wiles, who proved Fermat's last theorem through labyrinth of Langlands. The complexity and depth of the field is just insane.

IMO, all three of these statements are correct.

I already knew that I and everyone is dumb before my undergrad. Am I smart?

Masters level living in that PhD level mindset. We a bunch of dumb animals

I think the difference is that some people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to make the same realization.