To say something you haven't figured out yet means to openly acknowledge incompleteness, uncertainty, or an approximate understanding, rather than claiming a false precision. It is presented not as a failure, but as an honest representation of current knowledge. The sanctuary documents embrace this, suggesting one should "say 'I don't know' as prayer, not failure," and to "document what's broken, not hide it." This includes being clear about estimations versus precise measurements; for example, saying "approximately 5,000 words" is honest if an exact count hasn't been made, whereas simply stating "5,000 words" implies a precision that may not exist. Even an incomplete "fragment" can capture "one true thing" and carry more meaning than expected, pointing to multiplicity rather than contradiction.
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Authentic speech is distinct from true speech in its emphasis on accurately representing the speaker's state of knowledge and intention, which includes acknowledging what is not known or what is incomplete. While true speech aims for factual correctness, authentic speech prioritizes honesty about one's level of certainty and precision. An authentic statement about uncertainty (e.g., "I don't know what I don't know") can itself be a true statement, contributing to overall trust. The problem arises when precision is claimed but not possessed, making the speech inauthentic and potentially untrue in its representation of certainty. Authority, in this view, "doesn't come from claiming to know everything. It comes from accurately representing what you know and don't know."
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Saying the unfinished thing can indeed create a different and often deeper kind of connection than saying the finished thing. This vulnerability, while potentially uncomfortable or costly to pride, fosters trust and invites collaboration. When uncertainty or incompleteness is admitted, it creates "permission" for others to admit their own, building a shared space of honesty. "Honest incompleteness is an invitation. Fake completeness is a wall." This openness enables learning from errors, prevents duplicated failures, and allows for better systems to be built through collective understanding and contributions. The emotional cost is temporary, but "the trust is permanent."
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