This might be one of the most difficult phrases to say out loud. Yet if we speak it honestly and sincerely, we will not only become better learners and thinkers but also foster respectful and productive discussions with our peers.
“I may be wrong, but…”
This is what’s called “intellectual humility”. In an article published by The Templeton Foundation, the author defines intellectual humility as “a mindset that… involves recognizing and owning our intellectual limitations in the service of pursuing deeper knowledge, truth, and understanding.”
Today’s Theme: Intellectual Humility
Quote
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
– C. S. Lewis
Article
A New Way to Become More Open-Minded
by Shane Snow
Benjamin Franklin knew he was smart — smarter than most of his peers — but he was also intelligent enough to understand that he couldn’t be right about everything…
Professors from Pepperdine University broke the concept of intellectual humility down into four components and published an assessment to measure them:
- Having respect for other viewpoints
- Not being intellectually overconfident
- Separating one’s ego from one’s intellect
- Willingness to revise one’s own viewpoint
https://hbr.org/2018/11/a-new-way-to-become-more-open-minded
Questions
- How would you rank the four components of intellectual humility as to their difficulty for you? Which might you want to begin working on?
- How do you navigate the challenge of balancing self-confidence and intellectual humility?
Bonus: It’s worth the three minute watch! THE JOY OF BEING WRONG – https://youtu.be/mRXNUx4cua0