Ps 19:12 – Unknown unknowns – The Reflectionary

Psalm 19

This a deservedly well-known psalm: from the first verse (‘The heavens are telling’, featured in Handel’s Messiah) to the last (‘Let the words of my mouth’, a prayer before many a sermon), it is packed with juicy morsels of wisdom – reviving the soul, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, sweeter than honey dripping from the honeycomb.

Beautiful, innit?

But there’s one little verse, tucked away near the end, which strikes a chord for me. It’s verse 12: But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Hmmn. Forgive me my hidden faults. Asking God to have mercy for the stupid stuff I do when I don’t know I’m doing stupid stuff. I wonder how often that is? Considering all the times I have looked back on my actions and face-palmed, I expect it’s pretty frequent.

Sigh. It’s a good job God loves me.

It reminded me of a thing called the Known/Unknown matrix. You’ve probably come across it before (but possibly forgotten about it – see category 3 below)

Made famous (possibly infamous) by Donald Rumsfeld during a press briefing about the Iraq War in 2002, the Known/Unknown matrix usefully divided information into four categories

Things that we know we know
Things that we know we don’t know
Things that we don’t know we know
Things that we don’t know we don’t know

Known knowns are facts we are aware of. Paris is the capital of France. I know that, and I know that I know that. ‘Know’ (har har!) problem.

Known unknowns are things that we are aware exist, but we don’t possess the information. I don’t know the capital of Venezuela, and I know that I don’t. Also, no problem. I am aware that cold fusion is theoretically possible, but I am also aware that I’m not a nuclear physicist so I’ll refrain from telling nuclear physicists how to do their job.

The unknown knowns can cause a few problems, though. These are ‘facts’ (true or not) that are hidden to our thought processes. They are subconscious knowledge, unexamined assumptions, cultural norms that we think apply to everyone. At their best, they pop up when you’re on Who Wants to be a Millionaire as that niggling feeling that the ‘F’ in F. Scott Fitzgerald stands for Francis. At their worst, they rear their monstrous heads as ingrained prejudices, stereotyping and cognitive biases – the things that make a Black person up to ten times more likely to stopped and searched than average – and that’s in the UK, not the US. (Click here for reference.)

Finally, the unknown unknowns. These are what Psalm 19:12 is talking about. The things we are not even aware of. We have no idea. Hopefully, as we get older and (supposedly) wiser, some of these migrate to the known unknowns and even the known knowns, but we need to have the intellectual humility to admit that this area is unimaginably huge. I can’t give you an example of an unknown unknown because I have no idea what I don’t know.

The biggest problem, though, is when we put our knowledge in the wrong category. I remember a few years ago watching a quiz program and yelling at the screen, “Texas! It’s Texas!” The idiot in the chair was mumbling around, choosing between the options, when it was so obviously Texas. Any fool could have told him.

This fool did. The answer was California.

I put that ‘fact’ in known known, when in fact it was an unknown unknown. I did not know the answer and I was not aware that I do not know the answer. And that was a problem. If I had been their Phone a Friend, I’d have said, “Texas, 100%,” and I’d have been 100% wrong.

I wonder how often I do that with God. I wonder how much I’m tootling along, doing ‘Texas’, firmly convinced that I’m right.

When I pray the Examen, I often start with a prayer for light: God, grant me light to see you, and in your light to see myself.

But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Ps 19:12

Liturgy Resources for Proper 19

Psalm 19

Confession and Absolution

We confess to you, merciful Lord,
the sins we commit unknowingly
and those of which we are aware.

Who can discern their own errors?
Forgive me my hidden faults.
Forgive me and help me.

Keep your servant also from wilful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Forgive me and help me.

Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
Forgive me and help me.

God, who is gracious and freely forgives all who look to him for mercy,
forgive you all your sins,
restore in you the image of his glory
and strengthen you to live in righteousness.
Amen.