In true engineering fashion, I will prove this statement by example. In fact, to make the proof very convincing, I will use two examples.

Scenario #1: Learning too much.
The person who learns too much is the sucker at any workplace. Your boss expresses a desire for a new database and obviously, the most intelligent guy in the department gets the honours of designing it from scratch and “leading” a development team. I use the term leading very loosely here, because in this context, it’s more like “doing all the work and then negotiating who should be credited for all that work.” The inactive developer writes three lines of code, does no overtime, goes home happy, and overall comes out on top.

Conclusion: Never admit you know too much, except when discussing a raise.

Scenario #2: Parking tickets.
If you know you will be parked for more than five or so hours at a paid parking zone, and you are in the downtown core of a big city (a la Toronto), there is no need to pay at all. In general, parking ticket officers will simply peek at your dashboard and walk away if they see a piece of paper right side up. This is assuming you aren’t breaking any other laws such as parking in front of a fire hydrant or blocking a grandmother’s driveway. I recommend placing your favourite comic strip right side up, rotated sideways for maximum success. Once again, inactivity triumphs the active one, as the cumulation of all parking tickets will never be as expensive as paying for parking for many many hours.

Conclusion: Proceeds from parking ticket savings can be donated to the Value Nation of Kazakhstan.