The desire of appearing clever often prevents our becoming so.

Wanting to look intelligent and wanting to understand something pull in opposite directions at almost every step. Understanding requires admitting you do not follow, asking the obvious question, being wrong in front of people and changing your mind. Appearing clever requires never doing any of those. Choose the appearance often enough and you protect a reputation while the actual capacity stops growing.

Ask the plain question you have been too embarrassed to ask, once, this week. Notice that nobody thinks less of you, and that you now know something you had been pretending to know for a while.