i know

Someone sends you a track you've already heard, or shares a link about an article you read yesterday, and you respond: "I know."

People do this all the time. It feels automatic, almost reflexive. But what are you really saying? "This is not news to me." It's an ego move, a status signal that you're already informed. It shuts down the conversation.

Don't do this. Create connection instead of competition. This doesn't mean pretending you don't know something. When done respectfully, saying you're familiar with something can move things forward – it lets you skip the surface-level exchange and deepen the conversation.

"Thanks for sharing" shows appreciation. "I saw that too – what's your take on it?" invites dialogue. "I especially liked the section about X" creates engagement.

There are some exceptions where "I know" helps. For example, if someone's launching into a long explanation, you can save everyone time by saying you're already up to speed. (But to be fair, it's also good practice to ask "have you heard of this?" before diving into explanations.)

Every response trains people on what to bring you. If you give them a good feeling about having shared something with you, they will keep doing that.