The Lack of

There are so many descriptive words that indicate lack of awareness, skill, or intelligence. Not all of them mean the same degree of deficiency. Not all of those conditions are necessarily the same.

Here's a little teaser to demonstrate how different words may seem the same but in actuality, the intent of the word conveys a different concept from what could be considered its synonym. Try your hand at inserting what you feel is the correct word [highlighted in bold type] in the following sample, based on what you believe the subject/protagonist status is:

Frankie did an amateurish job of the project. It was a first attempt with no instruction and no assistance. Those who viewed the result felt embarrassed. Others felt sympathy for Frankie. Still others wondered why Frankie was selected instead of someone with at least an introductory awareness of the desired outcome.

As for Frankie, he wasn't certain if he should admit his ignorance, talk about his stupidity, or just end all conversation and say he was dumb.

Yes, Frankie was experiencing that emotion called shame. The shame drived from a lack of knowledge.

A woman who was doing work for the first time in a new industry shamefacedly told her supervisor she did a poor job because she was dumb. Now "dumb" indicates several things. However, her supervisor took the time to explain the difference between being "dumb", being "stupid", and being "ignorant". Each is different. In her case, it was a matter of the fact that she'd not had exposure to the particular circumstances nor awareness needed in order to do that particular project. Therefore, her lack was a type of ignorance, not stupidity or being dumb.

There are different circumstances that gave rise to the results for Frankie. Care to talk about why you chose the word you did? We're all ears.

Resources:

• The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
  
• Capabilities for Talent Development: Shaping the Future of the Profession (What Works in Talent Development)
  
• Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace
  
• Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach
  
  
• If you enjoy writing and want a place where you can be challenged while receiving constructive feedback on your expressions, consider joining WordWizards, an international writers community (requires Yahoo email address).