The mechanic who says “let’s find out” is better than the one who says “it’s probably” before looking.

Somebody willing to say they do not know yet is telling you they intend to check, and checking is where correct answers come from. A confident guess offered before looking is often about reassuring you, and it starts the work in the wrong place, because a first explanation tends to stick even once evidence arrives. Admitting uncertainty is a sign of competence rather than a hole in it.

Listen for which kind of answer you get this week, from a mechanic, a teacher or a friend. Where somebody guesses early, ask what would prove it. When you do not know, say so and go look.