Yes and no. Yes, being known as one of the ones who knows gives you freedom to say "I don't know" without being judged. In the past few years, I've started feeling that freedom. (Maybe others wouldn't have judged me before. Maybe the issue is that now I don't judge myself for not knowing.)
But no, being the one who doesn't know in a room full of those who do shouldn't stop you from learning. There are two different cases here, though.
If you're in a sane (not too political, and not too toxic) environment, just ask when you don't know something. (Don't do it so often that you hijack the meeting, but do it once or twice a meeting.) You will often be speaking for others as well who don't know but are unwilling to admit their ignorance (unless you're the only junior person). Your asking can free them to also ask and also learn.
If you are in a toxic or political environment, you still need to learn, without getting destroyed. That's harder. You need to try to find out who it's safe to ask. But the bigger task in that environment, in my opinion, is to not learn to be political or toxic yourself.
But no, being the one who doesn't know in a room full of those who do shouldn't stop you from learning. There are two different cases here, though.
If you're in a sane (not too political, and not too toxic) environment, just ask when you don't know something. (Don't do it so often that you hijack the meeting, but do it once or twice a meeting.) You will often be speaking for others as well who don't know but are unwilling to admit their ignorance (unless you're the only junior person). Your asking can free them to also ask and also learn.
If you are in a toxic or political environment, you still need to learn, without getting destroyed. That's harder. You need to try to find out who it's safe to ask. But the bigger task in that environment, in my opinion, is to not learn to be political or toxic yourself.