[Sometimes humility gets a bad rap. But having intellectual
humility – being open to new information and willing to change your
mind – can be beneficial for the individual and for society.]
[[link removed]]

THE CURIOUS JOY OF BEING WRONG  
[[link removed]]


 

Daryl Van Tongeren
December 26, 2023
The Conversation
[[link removed]]


*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

_ Sometimes humility gets a bad rap. But having intellectual humility
– being open to new information and willing to change your mind –
can be beneficial for the individual and for society. _

,

 

Mark Twain apocryphally said, “I’m in favor of progress; it’s
change I don’t like.” This quote pithily underscores the human
tendency to desire growth while also harboring strong resistance to
the hard work that comes with it. I can certainly resonate with this
sentiment.

I was raised in a conservative evangelical home. Like many who grew up
in a similar environment, I learned a set of religious beliefs that
framed how I understood myself and the world around me. I was taught
that God is loving and powerful, and God’s faithful followers are
protected. I was taught that the world is fair and that God is good.
The world seemed simple and predictable – and most of all, safe.

These beliefs were shattered when my brother unexpectedly passed away
when I was 27 years old. His death at 34 with three young children
shocked our family and community. In addition to reeling with grief,
some of my deepest assumptions were challenged. Was God not good or
not powerful? Why didn’t God save my brother, who was a kind and
loving father and husband? And how unfair, uncaring and random is the
universe?

This deep loss started a period where I questioned all of my beliefs
in light of the evidence of my own experiences. Over a considerable
amount of time, and thanks to an exemplary therapist, I was able to
revise my worldview in a way that felt authentic. I changed my mind,
about a lot things. The process sure wasn’t pleasant. It took more
sleepless nights than I care to recall, but I was able to revise some
of my core beliefs.

I didn’t realize it then, but this experience falls under what
social science researchers call intellectual humility
[[link removed]]. And honestly, it is
probably a large part of why, as a psychology professor
[[link removed]],
I am so interested in studying it. Intellectual humility has been
gaining more attention
[[link removed]],
and it seems critically important for our cultural moment, when it’s
more common to defend your position than change your mind.

What it means to be intellectually humble

Intellectual humility is a particular kind of humility that has to do
with beliefs, ideas or worldviews. This is not only about religious
beliefs; it can show up in political views, various social attitudes,
areas of knowledge or expertise or any other strong convictions. It
has both internal- and external-facing dimensions.

Within yourself, intellectual humility involves awareness and
ownership of the limitations and biases
[[link removed]] in what you know and how
you know it. It requires a willingness to revise your views
[[link removed]] in light of strong
evidence.

Interpersonally, it means keeping your ego in check
[[link removed]] so you can present your
ideas in a modest and respectful manner. It calls for presenting your
beliefs in ways that are not defensive and admitting when you’re
wrong. It involves showing that you care more about learning and
preserving relationships than about being “right” or demonstrating
intellectual superiority.

Another way of thinking about humility, intellectual or otherwise, is
being the right size in any given situation: not too big (which is
arrogance), but also not too small (which is self-deprecation).

I know a fair amount about psychology, but not much about opera. When
I’m in professional settings, I can embrace the expertise that
I’ve earned over the years. But when visiting the opera house with
more cultured friends, I should listen and ask more questions, rather
than confidently assert my highly uninformed opinion.

Four main aspects of intellectual humility include being:

* Open-minded, avoiding dogmatism and being willing to revise your
beliefs.
* Curious, seeking new ideas, ways to expand and grow, and changing
your mind to align with strong evidence.
* Realistic, owning and admitting your flaws and limitations, seeing
the world as it is rather than as you wish it to be.
* Teachable, responding nondefensively and changing your behavior to
align with new knowledge.

Intellectual humility is often hard work, especially when the stakes
are high.

Starting with the admission that you, like everyone else, have
cognitive biases and flaws that limit how much you know, intellectual
humility might look like taking genuine interest in learning about
your relative’s beliefs during a conversation at a family
get-together, rather than waiting for them to finish so you can prove
them wrong by sharing your – superior – opinion.

It could look like considering the merits of an alternative viewpoint
on a hot-button political issue and why respectable, intelligent
people might disagree with you. When you approach these challenging
discussions with curiosity and humility, they become opportunities to
learn and grow.

Why intellectual humility is an asset

Though I’ve been studying humility
[[link removed]] for
years, I’ve not yet mastered it personally. It’s hard to swim
against cultural norms that reward being right and punish mistakes
[[link removed]]. It takes constant work to
develop, but psychological science has documented numerous benefits.

First, there are social, cultural and technological advances to
consider. Any significant breakthrough
[[link removed]]
in medicine, technology or culture has come from someone admitting
they didn’t know something – and then passionately pursuing
knowledge with curiosity and humility. Progress requires admitting
what you don’t know [[link removed]] and
seeking to learn something new.

Relationships improve when people are intellectually humble. Research
has found that intellectual humility is associated with greater
tolerance toward people with whom you disagree
[[link removed]].

For example, intellectually humble people are more accepting of people
who hold differing religious
[[link removed]] and political
[[link removed]] views. A central part
of it is an openness to new ideas
[[link removed]], so folks are less
defensive to potentially challenging perspectives. They’re more
likely to forgive [[link removed]],
which can help repair and maintain relationships.

Finally, humility helps facilitate personal growth. Being
intellectually humble allows you to have a more accurate view of
yourself
[[link removed]].

When you can admit and take ownership of your limitations
[[link removed]], you can seek help in areas where
you have room to grow, and you’re more responsive to information
[[link removed]].
When you limit yourself to only doing things the way you’ve always
done them, you miss out on countless opportunities for growth,
expansion and novelty – things that strike you with awe, fill you
with wonder and make life worth living.

Humility can unlock authenticity
[[link removed]] and personal
development.

Humility doesn’t mean being a pushover

Despite these benefits, sometimes humility gets a bad rap. People can
have misconceptions about intellectual humility, so it’s important
to dispel some myths.

Intellectual humility isn’t lacking conviction; you can believe
something strongly until your mind is changed and you believe
something else. It also isn’t being wishy-washy. You should have a
high bar for what evidence you require to change your mind. It also
doesn’t mean being self-deprecating or always agreeing with others.
Remember, it’s being the right size, not too small.

Researchers are working hard
[[link removed]] to validate reliable
ways to cultivate intellectual humility. I’m part of a team
[[link removed]]
that is overseeing a set of projects designed to test different
interventions to develop intellectual humility.

Some scholars are examining different ways to engage in discussions,
and some are exploring the role of enhancing listening. Others are
testing educational programs, and still others are looking at whether
different kinds of feedback and exposure to diverse social networks
might boost intellectual humility.

Prior work in this area suggests that humility can be cultivated
[[link removed]], so we’re excited to
see what emerges as the most promising avenues from this new endeavor.

There was one other thing that religion taught me that was slightly
askew. I was told that too much learning could be ruinous; after all,
you wouldn’t want to learn so much that you might lose your faith.

But in my experience, what I learned through loss may have salvaged a
version of my faith that I can genuinely endorse and feels authentic
to my experiences. The sooner we can open our minds and stop resisting
change, the sooner we’ll find the freedom offered by humility.[The
Conversation]

_Daryl Van Tongeren
[[link removed]],
Associate Professor of Psychology, Hope College
[[link removed]]_

This article is republished from The Conversation
[[link removed]] under a Creative Commons license. Read
the original article
[[link removed]].

* Philosophy
[[link removed]]
* Religion and beliefs
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web
[[link removed]]

Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]

Manage subscription
[[link removed]]

Visit xxxxxx.org
[[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 




[link removed]

To unsubscribe, click the following link:
[link removed]