At a job interview, they asked, “If someone born in 1925, how old are they now?” I confidently said “100,” but the interviewer gently corrected me: “They might not be alive. The real question is: how would you find the right answer if they were?”
I realized they weren’t testing math—they were testing mindset. They wanted someone who verifies facts, asks questions like “Are they still alive?” “When’s their birthday?” “What’s the current year?”—not someone who assumes.
My instinct was to answer fast, equating speed with competence. But I learned: being right often means thinking carefully, not quickly. “Assumptions lead to mistakes,” the interviewer said. “We value curiosity over confidence.”
I left feeling thankful, not embarrassed. It felt like growth, not failure. Accuracy demands humility, patience, and looking beyond the obvious.
A week later, I got the job. They were impressed by how I responded after my mistake—not the mistake itself. Being teachable proved more valuable than being perfect.
