Intellectual Humility

What is this you might ask? That right there is already a problem. Everyone should know what this is but nobody seems to abide by this simple concept anymore. It’s missing from our current society. Intellectual humility is the recognition that one’s beliefs and opinions might be incorrect and the openness to consider different perspectives. Put simply, it is the opposite of stubbornness. The John Templeton Foundation puts intellectual humility as the mindset that guides our intellectual conduct. It involves recognizing and owning our intellectual limitations in the service of pursuing deeper knowledge, truth, and understanding. On the surface that sounds like a noble pursuit but do you see anyone around you having an ‘open mind’?

In my school, we start out by learning how people learn. That might seem like a silly thing to open with. Everyone knows how to learn after all. As it turns out, no, they don’t. We just assume they do. And we also assume everyone learns like we do. The simple fact is some just learn differently (or not at all). Therefore, when teaching a particular subject to a group of people, how you teach them (and they learn) will produce varying levels of success. Yet rarely do we see teachers testing for or adjusting their teaching style to match that most commonly found in their students. Instead, they just teach however they were taught or however best suits them. They lack intellectual humility.

Now I don’t want to pick on teachers. Their job is hard enough. I am merely pointing out how absent this concept of intellectual humility is. Why? Well, I have some ideas that I think are worth pursuing briefly in this blog. I am not saying I am 100% correct, merely that anyone should at least think about this before drawing their own conclusion. What I am asking is for you to use some intellectual humility to explore intellectual humility.

1.        Our egos cannot handle it.

The ability to have an open mind and hear differing opinions and thoughts and concepts stems from having actual confidence in what you believe. People who cannot hear their beliefs challenged or questioned don’t have a real belief at all. They lack a foundation and therefore any real confidence. People prop themselves up on half-truths and assumptions and go about their lives largely unchallenged. Maybe the easiest way to say it is people never did their homework on why they think as they do. They probably just heard it once somewhere, considered the person or source to be credible, and poof, it is truth to them. Once someone challenges that idea, they quickly fall apart, get emotional, and usually resort to name calling. Speaking of which…

2.        People are too emotional.

How many “debates” do you have to watch on social media where someone is hyper emotional about some cause or belief or whatever and the moment anyone questions them on it, they turn into a toddler? Not having any real substance for their feelings, they answer a question of their feelings with even more intense feelings. It’s a defense mechanism, largely because that feeling is lacking in any logical reason to be. They simply want to feel that way and don’t care who it hurts. And everyone else is just expected to suffer so this one person can be irresponsible for their actions, words, or behavior. Good for the person (I guess). Bad for the community.

3.        Like almost everything, intellectual humility must be taught.

I watch it happen over and over again in the education system. Parents, teachers and administrators just assume students know stuff or have been introduced to concepts. They think it’s all common sense. But it’s not. Many students don’t know and are too afraid to speak up so it just gets glossed over and ignored. Now we have this gap in the student’s ability to learn or be confident in what they are learning. We need to be sure they actually understand the core or fundamental concepts we need them to all have. This means we need to ‘insult their intelligence’ by even addressing the simplest of concepts. And it needs to happen as early as possible. Get it right the first time.

Here at the Uncommon Sense School, we believe wholeheartedly in the need to help young adults build a better foundation of self. Rather than just letting it go to chance, we want to be specific in helping people find out who they really are. Not who they want to be, who they think others want them to be, or who they used to be but who they actually are. Today. And they need to be at peace with that information. We want to drive out the fear that comes with knowing our true selves or the self-doubt and guilt when we aren’t who we thought we should be. No, we want truth they can build on. A foundation. And we want to provide the knowledge that some of that can change. You won’t know everything and it is okay to pivot if new information is brought to light.

That is how we develop intellectual humility. We work hard to obtain the most information possible. Then we test that information repeatedly until we obtain knowledge (and confidence). Continuing that same process over and over again until we gain wisdom. BUT, with the grace and humility to know we don’t know everything. That information might have been lacking or incorrect previously such that we need to reevaluate. This doesn’t make us less. This only continues to strengthen our knowledge. Making mistakes or being presented new information is a good thing. Not something to be feared. It is actually the core principle of science. Your models are only as good as the information they are given. Limitations are everywhere and changes later in time can unlock those limitations. This is how we LEARN! 

So, I am asking you, put intellectual humility on your to do list. I have. And I learned it when getting my Ph.D. What I found was the higher up in the education system I went, the dumber I felt. Not only was I now surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world (on a particular subject) but everything I thought I knew was just scratching the surface of all that was out there. My bachelor’s degree was just a tiny taste of the immense subject that was biology. My master’s not much better. People spend their entire lifetimes and barely make a dent. Remember that. I don’t care if you worked 40 years at something. There is and will always be things you don’t know. Accept this.

And don’t take your frustrations or fear out on the messenger (whoever that is). Put a cap on your emotions. Stamp down your ego. You can discuss things without taking on an air of superiority. You aren’t the be all end all. Let people carry on. Let people tell you they know more. Hear what they have to say. Incorporate anything new and let any emotions go. A person with real confidence is not afraid of new information or change. They seek it out so as to become the best version of self. Someone as informed as they can be. And at peace with the idea that there is always new information to explore. The goal has been and will always be to find your best self. Constantly working and reviewing and making the necessary changes to get better. Who cares how you came across this new information. Just be glad you did. You are better for it. Learn to embody the concept of intellectual humility. Please.