Accepting Self-Ignorance

Not knowing much of a topic is really bad. It slows you down and taxes you mentally.
Nobody like to be ignorant in the positive sense. Of course, some people do, on purpose, feign ignorance.

However, for self-improvement to be effective, the first thing you have to do is to acknowledge that you cannot know everything.

Just by the very fact that you can say " I do not know this" is a clear signal to yourself that you are truthfully being honest with yourself. This is important and key to self-improvement.

To improve yourself, you need to recognise what you lack in. By knowing this vacuum, you can then patch up the space. Accepting ignorance, is thus, a good thing and should be practiced for the sake of bettering yourself.

Have you come across people who claim to know a certain topic but upon questioning, avoided giving the answer upfront?

Do you think they can learn and really pick up new skill?
They have assumed that they knew the topic and skill. It may be half-complete knowledge, that has blinded their mind. It is a path to be avoided. They are not being honest with themselves. It could be due to their self-pride, or some past experiences. But their learning is, hence, obstructed through this inappropriate mindset.

Therefore, to ensure continuous improvement, it is not wrong to claim ignorance and nothing to be shameful of. Stay positive and honest with yourself for the notion that once the knowledge and skill has been acquired, you are a better person. You gain respect as a result too.