"You don't even know what tapas are?" - The Tapas Moment
“What? You’ve never heard of that author? You don’t know that TV show on Disney +? You didn’t know that was a streaming service? Never participated in a game of bowling? You don’t know what tapas are? How weird!” Welcome to the Tapas Moment.
There’s a good chance you’ve experienced one of these moments. It’s when you realize that something, apparently, is considered common knowledge, yet you’ve never heard of it. People react with surprise and sometimes even with disbelief. How could you possibly not know that one particular author, this TV show, or that fad? You’ve heard the word “tapas” from somewhere, but honestly, you never knew it referred to food.
For the sake of clarity, comfort, and blog SEO, let’s give these moments a name: the Tapas Moment.
Being the outsider
Tapas Moments can be jarring. They make you feel awkward like an outsider. It’s as if you’ve missed something that everyone else naturally learned simply by living daily life. Sometimes, people might even subtly or overtly shame you for not knowing what seems so obvious to them. Is that fair?
Knowledge as a Privilege
In short, no, we shouldn’t feel ashamed of not knowing something. Let’s never judge others for lacking information that, in reality, is simply a privilege to receive.
Think about it. Of course anything can be looked up, but at the very least at some point, someone or something had to mention tapas. Likely, you had to be in a situation where people even talk about tapas. Let’s be honest, that’s pretty much only in situations where tapas are actually present. Knowledge isn’t something you’re born with. It’s passed down, shared, and learned. The Tapas Moment isn’t about intelligence or effort. It’s just the moment when you realize that something widely known in a particular time or culture has simply never been shared with you before.
There are many reasons why someone might not know “common knowledge”:
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They migrated from a different culture where this knowledge isn’t widespread.
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Their upbringing didn’t include related experiences (dining out, pop culture, specific traditions).
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They were part of a community or social group where no one else was aware of this or that particular fact either.
We all have blind spots. Nobody can know everything. Yet, in a Tapas Moment, people expect that everyone should know.
Bruh
Next time you find someone else going through a Tapas Moment, consider this. No one should feel ashamed of lacking a piece of knowledge. Instead of reacting with shock or judgment, take this opportunity to kindly share knowledge. If someone literally doesn’t know what tapas are, don’t laugh. Invite them out to try some!