"I already know that." Why are these four words the most dangerous in the English language? Because when you utter these words, you have closed your mind to the possibilities. Let's say someone is about to give a presentation. You hear its title and you groan, "I already know that." What happens next? You turn off your mind. You start doodling or making a list of things to do. Or you start reading ahead to see what the next speaker on the agenda should have to say. You've just closed off any possibility that you might actually learn something new. Maybe you DO think you know this topic. But are you experiencing success? Any success at all? If you ARE successful, wouldn't you like MORE? Then uncross your arms and get that look off your face. You know the one I'm talking about. The one that says, "I already know that."
Of course, you don't want to waste your time listening to recycled information. But here's an example of how "I already know that" can be dangerous. What if you've heard it before, but it hasn't sunk in? What if you need to hear it again so you can REALLY hear it and understand it? Here's an example. I've been involved with a hobby group for a while that meets regularly. They discuss this hobby and actually create things with this hobby. Some of the members of the group are really talented, while others aren't. Some try hard, but others don't. This can be a lucrative hobby if you're good enough and sell your work. But some of the people who have been members for many years, and are still plugging away at the hobby, haven't sold their work. They'd like to sell it. They dream of selling it and "making it big." What's the problem? They're missing some of the vital information on how to properly craft what they create. So, as they pump out creation after creation, they're just not as good as they need to be in order to sell. Why are they missing this vital info that would be so helpful? Mainly because they hear what the next speaker plans to talk about at the next meeting and often say, "Are you kidding me? I've been in this group for years. I already know that. I'm not going to sit through it again." So while the newbies (and a lot of oldies) sit at the meeting, taking notes like crazy, and asking questions to delve deeper into the methods, these "I already know that" people either skip the meeting or they sit there with their arms crossed and act like this is all too elementary for them. Of course, even if you hear all of the details and keep an open mind, it still doesn't guarantee you'll sell. Still need to put those methods into practice, just like anything else. I've done well with this other hobby, and when I've had the chance to give presentations to the group, I've encountered a lot of the "I already know that" attitude and I just want to SCREAM, "Yes, I realize that you think you know this. But you're not listening to the basics, and you keep making mistake A, B and C. Let me help you get these methods down and then you can smooth it over and move on." It's not always regurgitated, recycled info. Sometimes we miss the gems because we're too focused on how familiar we are with the same old dirt. Just another way to look at it.