--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is something that I should know…" description: "\"If there is something that I should know how to do but don't, it bugs me. I feel like I have to sit down and work out exactly what the problem is.\" — T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4d/terence-tao-14138_feel_if-there-is-something-that-i-should-know_398931.jpg" --- # If there is something that I should know how to do but… ![“If there is something that I should know how to do but don't, it bugs me. I feel like I have to sit down and work out exactly what the problem is.” quote by Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4d/terence-tao-14138_feel_if-there-is-something-that-i-should-know_398931.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4d/terence-tao-14138_feel_if-there-is-something-that-i-should-know_398931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4d/terence-tao-14138_feel_if-there-is-something-that-i-should-know_398931.jpg) > “If there is something that I should know how to do but don't, it bugs me. I feel like I have to sit down and work out exactly what the problem is.” [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing a skill gap triggers curiosity and a drive to resolve it, turning discomfort into learning. **In simple terms:** Not knowing something bothers you and pushes you to learn. Key Takeaway Identify and address skill gaps. Themes learning curiosity self‑improvement Mood reflective determined Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - career development - academic research - personal projects - hobbies - team collaboration Key Concepts education problem solving growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - What skill am I avoiding? - How can I turn this discomfort into a learning plan? A Different Perspective May cause anxiety if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bugs Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bugs-feel-3581345/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feel Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-like/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Like Sit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-sit/) [Sit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sit/) [Sit Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sit-work-281381/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [My house is going - kids running out, my wife is running in and out - but I like to sit down and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bosh/my-house-is-going-kids-running-out-my-wife-is-running-in-and-out-but/) [Chris Bosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bosh/) > [I know what it's like to sit on the bench.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-kimmich/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-sit-on-the-bench/) [Joshua Kimmich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-kimmich/) > [If I could get someone like John Grisham or someone like that to sit down and write a book with me, I'd love that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-jackson/if-i-could-get-someone-like-john-grisham-or-someone-like-that-to-sit/) [Keith Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-jackson/) > [I like to sit at my desk... sometimes I get inspiration when I'm going about my normal day-to-day life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mercurio/i-like-to-sit-at-my-desk-sometimes-i-get-inspiration-when-i-m-going/) [Jed Mercurio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mercurio/) > [Writing is hard. I mean, I sit there and work at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/writing-is-hard-i-mean-i-sit-there-and-work-at-it/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [When something is great, then you can sit back after the work is done and relax, but during the process I definitely am making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-lewis/when-something-is-great-then-you-can-sit-back-after-the-work-is-done/) [Dean Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-lewis/) > [Every hour you sit at work increases your mortality 11 percent. Think about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-oz/every-hour-you-sit-at-work-increases-your-mortality-11-percent-think/) [Mehmet Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-oz/) > [I think it is necessary to sit down and work for years and years to get it right. I think that's the main thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/i-think-it-is-necessary-to-sit-down-and-work-for-years-and-years-to/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [I didn't work hard to sit down and not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-didn-t-work-hard-to-sit-down-and-not-work/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [It's a wonderful thing to have a companion like that who just wants to sit by you while you work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-have-a-companion-like-that-who-just-wants/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [I have to sit down and work out where I stand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-to-sit-down-and-work-out-where-i-stand/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [McEnroe has got to sit down and work out where he stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/mcenroe-has-got-to-sit-down-and-work-out-where-he-stands/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [I didn't sit down and work out other people's material; I've never believed in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-trower/i-didn-t-sit-down-and-work-out-other-people-s-material-i-ve-never/) [Robin Trower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-trower/) > [Inspiration is a joke, real artists sit down and work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-donovan/inspiration-is-a-joke-real-artists-sit-down-and-work/) [Tara Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-donovan/) > [“Solitude allows you to sit down and work out a system that works best for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/solitude-allows-you-to-sit-down-and-work-out-a-system-that-works-best/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) ## More by Terence Tao > [It is very humbling to receive the Fields Medal. The words of a Fields Medallist carry a lot of weight within mathematics - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/it-is-very-humbling-to-receive-the-fields-medal-the-words-of-a-fields/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [Can you make fancy patterns of water that actually have some computation power? I'm betting that fluids are complex enough to do this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/can-you-make-fancy-patterns-of-water-that-actually-have-some/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [Ultimately you should follow advice not because someone tells you to, but because it was something that you already knew you should be doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/ultimately-you-should-follow-advice-not-because-someone-tells-you-to/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [I tend to change research direction every few years or so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-tend-to-change-research-direction-every-few-years-or-so/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [My life is more than just my work. I am a husband and a father and a proud citizen of two countries: my homeland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/my-life-is-more-than-just-my-work-i-am-a-husband-and-a-father-and-a/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [I don't like accepting things at face value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-don-t-like-accepting-things-at-face-value/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [The standard high school curriculum traditionally has been focused towards physics and engineering. So calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra have always been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/the-standard-high-school-curriculum-traditionally-has-been-focused/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [Talent is important, but how one develops and nurtures it is even more so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/talent-is-important-but-how-one-develops-and-nurtures-it-is-even-more/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [One can think of any given axiom system as being like a computer with a certain limited amount of memory or processing power. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/one-can-think-of-any-given-axiom-system-as-being-like-a-computer-with/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [I am still very fond of Australia, but my life is now in Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/i-am-still-very-fond-of-australia-but-my-life-is-now-in-los-angeles/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [Math research is more like a marathon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/math-research-is-more-like-a-marathon/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [If I experiment enough, I get a deeper understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/if-i-experiment-enough-i-get-a-deeper-understanding/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [When I was seven or eight, whenever I was getting too rowdy at night, my parents would give me a maths workbook to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/when-i-was-seven-or-eight-whenever-i-was-getting-too-rowdy-at-night/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [It was traditional to not actually cash the prizes that Erdos did award while he was alive. People usually framed the cheque instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/it-was-traditional-to-not-actually-cash-the-prizes-that-erdos-did/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) > [At a purely formal level, one could call probability theory the study of measure spaces with total measure one, but that would be like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-tao/at-a-purely-formal-level-one-could-call-probability-theory-the-study/) [Terence Tao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) [Explore all 47 Terence Tao quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-tao/) ## More Feel quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [I feel I handle the pressure situations well, and that's why I want to be there at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-de-villiers/i-feel-i-handle-the-pressure-situations-well-and-that-s-why-i-want-to/) [AB de Villiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-de-villiers/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [I like to wear bodysuits and things that make me feel really active and athletic and also really sensual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-like-to-wear-bodysuits-and-things-that-make-me-feel-really-active/) [Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [You make me feel brand new today. Even my day is full of trials and pain…Thanks for everything...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lantapi/you-make-me-feel-brand-new-today-even-my-day-is-full-of-trials-and/) [Richard Lantapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lantapi/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I don't know how people feel,that's the beauty of TV, is they can see us, but we can't see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-know-how-people-feel-that-s-the-beauty-of-tv-is-they-can-see/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) [Browse all 26,675 Feel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is something that I should know how to do but don't, it bugs me. 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