Our society is permeated by a culture of false knowledge claims. Whenever someone mentions a band we don't know, or a movie we haven't seen, or a subject in school we don't understand, we are often met with an instantaneous feeling of defensiveness; we would rather lie through an entire conversation than admit that there is something we don't know.

Why is this? Why is our culture such a huge proponent of certainty, when it is something so very few of us lie about possessing? Perhaps it is our ego, perhaps it is a desire to not get in the way of the conversation, or maybe its simply out of a desire to feel like we fit in. Why is it so embarrassing to admit ignorance?

This culture of embarrassment, lies, and manufactured pride potentially has more serious social consequences that go beyond the scope of our personal interactions. To broaden the applications of this notion, I present the idea of allyship.

Allyship is the action of standing behind a specific group that you do not personally belong to, for the purpose of standing alongside this group in the face of oppression and injustice. It involves a careful balance of listening to the problems of the group and speaking out against these whenever necessary, but also allowing the members of the group itself to lead the way and be the authority on the issues that are specific to them.

This careful balance is not struck by personally standing up and leading the charge for the group that is being oppressed. This balance is struck, first and foremost, by admitting ignorance. This is not saying you don't know anything about the issue at hand, rather, it is admitting that fundamentally, you are not the group to which you are an ally, thus you do not know what it is like.

While you certainly may have experienced oppression based on other pieces of your identity, you have not experienced oppression in the way they have. To admit ignorance is to admit that someone else knows their own experience better than you ever could, and this opens up doors to a new understanding of the world around us.

This is not the only step, however. Not only must you admit you do not know, you must also embrace the potential for failure. You do not know the experience, therefore more often than not you will say or do something that is incorrect. A constant willingness to learn, and a willingness to stand alongside rather than in front of is key. If you don't know, ask. Asking questions shows a dedication to the cause, increases your understanding of the experience, and shows empathy to everyone affected by the oppression we are fighting against.

Therefore, admitting ignorance, being open to failure, and asking questions allows us to learn, grow, and ultimately become better human beings. If we are able to get out of our own way, we will find there are so many things to learn as well as so much left to understand about the beauty and struggle of those around us.