No one wants to look stupid, and you may think it’s easier to just nod your head or say that you understand something. But in reality, you will look more foolish if you pretend to understand something than if you don’t. When you’re in a workplace or faced with an intimidating person or situation, it can be difficult to admit you don’t know something. Oftentimes you may be fudging your way through a conversation and come to a point where you don’t know the answer to something. You could pretend that you do (and risk getting called out later or thrown into a situation you can’t handle) or you could just admit you don’t know. Saying you don’t know something or didn’t understand something will actually give you credibility. You might also get a better explanation of whatever you didn’t understand or more time to figure something out.