If you work in IT, engineering, or any other field where knowledge is key, understanding things is at least half the game. If you say “I’m not technical”, you are just limiting yourself for no good reason.

Expertise is a continuum. We are all born into ignorance; even experts have gaps in their knowledge of their own field. It’s perfectly OK to not understand something. As long as you don’t claim to know more than you do (which only requires courage), nobody will mind that you call yourself “non-technical”.

The problem with calling yourself “non-technical” is that you’re perpetuating your ignorance. It’s a way of throwing up your hands and saying: “I don’t know and I will never know about this”.

What I would suggest is that every time you’re compelled to say that you are non-technical, you’d instead say: “I don’t know much about this, but…”. In the ensuing conversation, you might understand one or two new things. Or you might hear again something you heard before, but this time you’ll remember it better. Soon you will be able to rely on your new understanding for subsequent thinking and future conversations. After some time passes, you might discover that your “technical” knowledge is just knowledge, and that your suggestions become more useful.

You have a powerful brain and insights to contribute. Take the breaks off your technical growth. Every field is understandable, particularly the one that you are working on. Go for it!