Recently, I was at my mother’s house, and she was watching the legendary Brazilian TV show, Show do Milhão (Million-Dollar Show), on YouTube. As I passed through the room, I saw the host, Silvio Santos, ask the contestant which clover was the symbol of luck. I thought the question was incredibly simple, almost trivial, and I was certain she would answer it with ease. However, despite the options, the woman got it wrong. She took home 15,000 Reais (which was worth much more back then than it is today). The moment she lost, my mother said: “What a shame! She wanted 50,000 to buy a house for her mother! She only took 15!”

This episode made me reflect: How much is knowledge worth, even if it is non-specialized common sense? We are constantly bombarded with information—”popular” knowledge, scientific data, technical facts, etc. But have we ever considered the price of knowing or not knowing these things?

In the case I mentioned, it cost the contestant a house she dearly wanted. She wanted to change her mother’s life. The information required for that was simply knowing that the four-leaf clover is the symbol of luck. Whether due to nerves or genuine ignorance, the truth is that this apparently trivial knowledge had a very high cost: it cost her a dream!

Moving away from television and closer to our reality, we are subject to the same risk in our daily lives. There has never been so much information available, and because of this, we are forced to filter what we need or don’t need; the necessary or the unnecessary. The problem is that life is not an exact science, and we never truly know what is or isn’t important until “the exact moment arrives.” To illustrate this, look at what happened to me.

A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a selection process for a very good position at a mining company here in Minas Gerais. My resume met the requirements well, and I felt the job was meant for me. So, I prepared extensively for the interview and arrived quite confident. Everything was going well during the interview, and I felt it would work out until the environmental coordinator asked me a question:

“We recently had the amendment of Joint Resolution SEMAD/IEF No. 3,102, of October 26, 2021, where for environmental intervention processes, the PIA began to be required instead of the PUP. What did you think of this change, and what is the difference between the Intended Use Plan (PUP) and the Environmental Intervention Project (PIA)?”

I am sure many of you—just like I was while watching the Show do Milhão video—are thinking: “Wow! What an easy question! The job would be mine!” At that time, that was not the case for me. I didn’t know how to answer, and I lost a position I really wanted.

To give you some context, I worked in field activities and did not write the projects. I collected field data and delivered it to my client, who then used it to draft the projects. I knew about the change in Resolution IEF/SEMAD No. 3,102 because I wanted to move into the project design phase, so I was studying hard. However, to save time, I studied only the new resolution and completely ignored the previous one. I thought: “I didn’t work with projects before; if I do in the future, it will be under this new resolution. Therefore, I must master the new one and leave the old one behind. If I need to, I’ll consult the old resolution later.” Honestly, it was a fair thought that made a lot of sense. However, it cost me a professional opportunity.

Lost Opportunities: A Moment for Reflection, Learning, and Personal Growth

I was upset about the lost opportunity, but I didn’t give up. I kept studying and working hard until I landed another opportunity. This time, I not only got the job, but today I perform the same functions I would have in that other position! Life is like that: a failure is an opportunity to learn more and take advantage of the new chances life gives us.

In closing, remember: we will never know everything we should or should not learn, and even apparently silly or trivial knowledge can make a difference at the right time, whether to realize a dream or land an excellent job. Therefore, never stop expanding your knowledge in various areas and do not limit yourself only to your specific field of work.

Now it’s your turn: How many times have you gone through something similar in your life? How many opportunities have you lost, whether in your professional or personal life? How did you deal with it? Tell me in the comments on my LinkedIn profile.