Have you and your partner ever been together and they say something that just goes straight over your head? Do you ever wish you could look up what your sweetie just said so you know how to respond? We’ve all been there at some point or another, when we just feel humbled by the knowledge our partner possesses. So what do you do?

Pinpoint

What subject do they have all this knowledge in? Is their knowledge in the field of their career or is it something totally obscure? Did they learn this information because they loved the subject matter or was it just to show off at parties? You can’t begin to react to the situation if you do not know what your other half knows and why they know it. No use going into a battle without knowing what you’re up against.

Assess

Now that you know why your partner knows all they know, you need to decide if this is something you have a problem with. Most likely if you are reading this article you have an issue with your partner being smarter than you, but sometimes you need to realize that you can’t always be on even keel with your partner’s knowledge. A doctor will and should know more about medicine than an accountant that is just the nature of the job.

Learn

Learn the background about your partner’s area of expertise. Get the general gist of the information so that when it does come up you have an idea about what is going on. Sometimes something as simple as learning the abbreviations and jargon can help make you feel more secure. For example, if your partner is a talented webmaster who speaks in what seems like tongues (SEO optimization, XHTML, adsense, etc) reading a web design or internet or dummies page might clear some of the haze in your mind.

Talk to your partner

But make your inquiry non-threatening. Many times when we try to learn something about our significant other’s career or interest we give the impression that we are trying to become equal to them in that field. Explain to your partner that you just want to have a better idea of what they do or are interested in so that you don’t get so lost. If they are still hesitant on helping you learn or breaking things down, ask what they would prefer, maybe they like being the sole source of knowledge. You and your partner need to come to some sort of compromise so you feel like you are not completely clueless and your other half doesn’t feel like you’re tramping on their life and work.

Remember, the reason why you want to make a change is for the good of you and your partner. While you can do research on your own, it is important to talk to your sweetie so they don’t feel like your new found knowledge was a ploy to trip them up. Good luck with your endeavors!