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I'm not saying there aren't any valid reasons for doing it. I'm just saying the there's a "meta-lesson" there that has to be corrected. I want all my kids to grow up knowing that there's no shame in saying "I don't know," if you honestly don't know. Life is not a sounding smart contest.

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>> Why they do this, I have no idea.

> I'm not saying there aren't any valid reasons for doing it.

> I'm just saying the there's a "meta-lesson" there that has to be corrected.

And I'm saying that your meta-lesson is not a good idea as it will tend to teach underconfidence. The real world does not always let you off with a "I don't know"; you may not know to some high degree of certainty whether a cancer treatment is a good idea, but nevertheless you must decide whether or not to do it.

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