@charliejane this is a related concept to something which my dad jokingly calls The Yale Intelligence Test (or insert the impressive college of your choice really) -

You pass it if, when someone is talking to you about something technical that is over your head, you are able to go "I don't know that."

The more entrenched in being in love with their own expertise someone is, the more they are unable to admit they don't know about something, the longer they will go blathering on and on in increasing nonsense. And that's how you know you've actually got kind of an idiot eager to show their ass. Not someone actually using their smarts.

But passing with flying colors? "I don't know, but I would love to find out!" And then ideas of how to find it out (research, experts to consult, experiments to try).

This does fall apart a little bit when you move out of the ivory tower and esoteric academic subjects. But I think the point you're really trying to drive home here is the simple humility that is required to really sit down and listen. You've got to stop centering your own ego and your own pride in order to learn. Capitalism and other forces tend to encourage the idea that admitting you don't know is a fate worse than death.

Really, knowing that you don't know is how you actually get ready to learn shit.