Former Community – We Moved
🆕 Coached community here, for posts & feedback public community here.
"I have no idea" vs "I don't know"
Hello TPM Community,
I noticed in movies, alpha characters will say "I have no idea" instead of "I don't know".
So I'm thinking that it does sound higher power.
Woman: who is this woman?
Tom Cruise (as Ethan Hunt): I have no idea
I've seen it in another movie as well.
I'm curious about your thoughts on this topic.
Cheers John, funny enough that's something I used to say to a certain college teacher when he asked me. To me in certain occasions it subcomunicates: I don't know what you're asking and I neither care or feel ashamed about not knowing it/recognising it.
Thats the feel I get.
Hello, John, Power Duck, everyone!
I think the answer depends on the context. I wouldn't substitute an "I dont know" for "I have no idea" in every situation. Both can be higher or lower power.
The nuances I see are more on the tonality and whether you follow it with something else or leave the "I have no idea" stand by itself. But depending on the tonality, it's a power move, since, as Power Duck (man, don't know if I have told you this before, but I love this nickname!!) puts it, it communicates you don't give a fuck about either the question or the answer.
When someone has no business asking the question or is asking in a petulant or an overpowering way, I think it's a good way to rebalance things. Another variation might be a simple, naked, "good question" and leave it at that.
If someone is asking politely and the question is pertinent, or an answer is due, you may want to tone it down a bit. I'd go with the "good question" (instead of the "no idea", which in this case sounds low power to me) followed by an hypothesis if an answer is due; returning the question if you're dealing with subordinates (asking professorially "good question, let's explore this a little bit further. Who do you think she might be?").
Of course, there are times when you want to be higher power regardless, especially if you are going the "alpha" way, so the "no idea" is always an option. It's polarizing, many people won't like it. Succeeding depends on how much power you've already got. If you have tons of it, it's boom.
That considered, I think that saying "I have no idea" when you do know the answer, and especially when the truth is unpleasant, is lower power. If it's your wife asking and you answer with an unapologetic "she'my lover", it's higher power even if you're following.
Thank you very much Power Duck, Kavalier! Much helpful!
So if I summarize (for self-learning through repetition as well, I quote from Kavalier's answer), 3 options:
- No idea: when someone has no business asking the question or is asking in a petulant or an overpowering way, a good way to rebalance things. Of course, there are times when you want to be higher power regardless, especially if you are going the "alpha" way, so the "no idea" is always an option. It's polarizing, many people won't like it. Succeeding depends on how much power you've already got. If you have tons of it, it's boom.
- I don't know: When someone has no business asking the question or is asking in a petulant or an overpowering way, it's a good way to rebalance things.
- Good question: When someone has no business asking the question or is asking in a petulant or an overpowering way, it's a good way to rebalance things.
If it's your wife asking and you answer with an unapologetic "she'my lover", it's higher power even if you're following.
I did not exactly understand this part if you would like to elaborate (I understood that it's part of the dialog though).
