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• • Intellectual Humility

Note: - Add to "see also" Overconfidence effect artile ** - Fix Plous citation

Definition

Intellectual humility is a psychological process, a metacognitive entity, defined as "the recognition of the limits of one’s knowledge and an awareness of one’s fallibility."

Components

Intellectual humility us "a multifaceted and multilayered virtue" which involves several key components that shape an individual's intellectual disposition. An intellectually humbler person will:

• Not think too highly of themselves
• Not think that one’s beliefs or attitudes are better or more correct than other viewpoints
• Will lack intellectual vanity
• Not boast or brag about their intellectual accomplishments
• Not be defensive when challenged or try to explain away their intellectual shortcomings
• Take complaints and criticism seriously
• Acknowledge their mistakes and shortcomings
• Show open-mindedness to new ideas
• “Own” their intellectual limitations

It is positively associated with:

• Openness to new ideas
• Empathy
• Prosocial values
• Tolerance for diverse people and perspectives; and *Scrutiny of misinformation
• Greater openness to learning about different political views, lower affective polarization, and higher religious tolerance

History

For millennia, philosophers have championed "a recognition of one's epistemic limit" and have named it an epistemic virtue.

Perhaps the first recorded instance of intellectual humility is when Socrates (in The Apology) remarked: “Although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is – for he knows nothing, and thinks he knows. I neither know nor think I know.”

Waclaw Bąk et al. identify Socrates as "the ideal example" of IH. Studies by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Gordon Allport discuss humility with regard to one's knowledge without using the phrase "intellectual humility".

Notwithstanding this long history, attention from social and behavioural scientists is much more recent - roughly starting in 2005.

Benefits

There are a variety of benefits to individuals who have higher intellectual humility including:

• Improved Decision-Making: "more likely to process information in ways that enhance their knowledge and understanding than people lower in intellectual humility."
• Positive interactions: "more positive social interactions, especially when disagreements arise . .. . people who are more intellectually humble to be liked better than those low in IH.

At a social level there are also benefits including the moderation of conflicts and may lead to greater compromise.

The consequences of the reverse - i.e. overconfidence - can be terrible. As social psychologist Scott Plous wrote, "No problem in judgment and decision making is more prevalent and more potentially catastrophic than overconfidence." It has been blamed for lawsuits, strikes, wars, poor corporate acquisitions, and stock market bubbles and crashes.

A large study of nearly 50,000 participants from over 68 countries found that "open-mindedness turns out to be the strongest predictor for rejecting conspiracy beliefs" (and support for public health measures) related to COVID-19.

Learning Intellectual Humility

A study found that users of an online tool could experience small- to medium-sized increase in their intellectual humility.

Activities with some empirical support for increasing intellectual humility

Exercise with rationale	Sample applications
Reason about a challenging situation from a third-person rather than a first-person perspective.28 Thinking about a situation from a third-person perspective creates psychological distance, which increases objectivity about the situation. It also shifts people from an individual to a relational focus.	Journal about a challenging interpersonal situation from the vantage point of an outside observer. Possible writing prompt: “Think about a challenging interpersonal exchange. Pretend an uninvolved person observed the interaction. Write down everything the uninvolved person would have seen and heard from his or her perspective.” Ask team members who are experiencing an intellectual disagreement to engage in a 180-degree role play in which they have a discussion arguing only from the other person’s perspectives (provide name tags with the other person’s name to add effect). Although different from a third-person perspective, this exercise often leads to greater understanding of another person’s viewpoint
Shift toward a growth mindset of intelligence: the belief that intelligence can be developed and grow rather than that it is a trait that cannot be changed.29 People who hold a growth mindset of intelligence may feel less threatened to acknowledge what they don't yet understand and feel more comfortable acknowledging the intellectual strengths of others.	• Read an article or chapter about the growth mindset of intelligence, such as Dweck & Yeager.30 • Create shared learning opportunities with longer readings, such as Dweck,31 where team members each review one chapter and share a 5x5 (5 minutes, 5 slides) presentation with the team about the key points of the chapter. ||
Example	Example	Example

Part I: Activities with some empirical support for increasing intellectual humility Intellectual humility exercise with rationale Sample applications of the intellectual humility principle in leadership contexts Reason about a challenging situation from a third-person rather than a first-person perspective.28 Thinking about a situation from a third-person perspective creates psychological distance, which increases objectivity about the situation. It also shifts people from an individual to a relational focus. • Journal about a challenging interpersonal situation from the vantage point of an outside observer. Possible writing prompt: “Think about a challenging interpersonal exchange. Pretend an uninvolved person observed the interaction. Write down everything the uninvolved person would have seen and heard from his or her perspective.” • Ask team members who are experiencing an intellectual disagreement to engage in a 180-degree role play in which they have a discussion arguing only from the other person’s perspectives (provide name tags with the other person’s name to add effect). Although different from a third-person perspective, this exercise often leads to greater understanding of another person’s viewpoint. Shift toward a growth mindset of intelligence: the belief that intelligence can be developed and grow rather than that it is a trait that cannot be changed.29 People who hold a growth mindset of intelligence may feel less threatened to acknowledge what they don't yet understand and feel more comfortable acknowledging the intellectual strengths of others. • Read an article or chapter about the growth mindset of intelligence, such as Dweck & Yeager.30 • Create shared learning opportunities with longer readings, such as Dweck,31 where team members each review one chapter and share a 5x5 (5 minutes, 5 slides) presentation with the team about the key points of the chapter. Critically evaluate the limitations of one’s knowledge on a particular topic or in a particular situation.32 When people assess the limits of their knowledge in a particular situation or on a particular topic it can make their general intellectual humility more salient in the moment, on the topic in question. • Critically evaluate for yourself:

  ○ Could your views on the topic turn out to be wrong? ○ Could you be overlooking evidence on the topic? ○ Could your views on the topic change if you were given additional evidence or information?33 Focus on ways in which others are socially responsive (i.e., kind, considerate, accepting, and responsive to one’s needs).34 When people think about relationships in which others are responsive to their needs this decreases various self-serving cognitive biases, makes people more open to considering alternative viewpoints, and leads people to adopt a broader perspective. • Use appreciative inquiry35 principles to co-construct an organizational narrative of social responsiveness. This includes dialogue about existing areas of social responsiveness success, casting a vision of hopes and aspirations for the future, and developing an action plan to grow social responsiveness. • Implement diversity training to address issues of systemic racism and other forms of discrimination in the organization that block team members from experiencing social responsiveness.

Cultivating intellectual humility is an ongoing process that requires intentional effort. Here are some strategies individuals can employ to foster intellectual humility:

1. **Active Listening:** Practice active listening by genuinely seeking to understand others' perspectives without judgment or preconceived notions. Engage in empathetic and respectful conversations that allow for the exploration of differing viewpoints.

2. **Continuous Learning:** Embrace a lifelong learning mindset by seeking out new knowledge, exploring different sources, and engaging with diverse perspectives. Actively challenge your own beliefs and be open to revising them based on new information.

3. **Self-Reflection:** Engage in regular self-reflection to identify personal biases, assumptions, and blind spots. Challenge your own thinking and examine the reasons behind your beliefs. Consider the possibility of being wrong and be willing to revise your views when warranted.

4. **Seek Feedback:** Actively seek feedback from others, valuing constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth. Encourage others to challenge your ideas and provide alternative perspectives.

5. **Practice Humility in Disagreements:** When engaging in intellectual debates or disagreements, strive to maintain a respectful and humble attitude. Focus on the merits of the arguments rather than personal attacks. Be willing to change your position if presented with compelling evidence or reasoning.

Intellectual humility is the acceptance that one's beliefs and opinions could be wrong. Other characteristics that may accompany intellectual humility include a low concern for status and an acceptance of one's intellectual limitations.

Intellectual humility (IH) is often described as an intellectual virtue. It is considered along with other perceived virtues and vices such as open-mindedness, intellectual courage, arrogance, vanity, and servility. It can be understood as lying between the opposite extremes of intellectual arrogance/dogmatism and intellectual servility/diffidence/timidity.

Definitions

In 1990, Richard Paul presented IH as a critical thinking disposition, interdependent with other traits such as intellectual courage. He defined it as "Awareness of the limits of one's knowledge, including sensitivity to circumstances in which one’s native egocentrism is likely to function self-deceptively; sensitivity to bias and prejudice in, and limitations of one's viewpoint". Paul adds "It does not imply spinelessness or submissiveness. It implies the lack of intellectual pretentiousness, boastfulness, or conceit, combined with insight into the logical foundations, or lack of such foundations, of one’s beliefs."

One of the first focused studies of IH was conducted by Roberts and Woods in 2003. Much of the literature on IH concerns attempts to frame definitions. Conceptions of humility include proper belief, underestimation of strengths, low concern, limitation-owning, as well as semantic clusters, cluster of attitudes, and confidence management.

Doxastic definition

Ian M. Church and Peter L. Samuelson proposed a doxastic account of IH. They considered IH as a virtue of valuing one's own beliefs "as he or she ought". They argued humility is the "virtuous mean" between arrogance and self-deprecation.

This definition proposed that people are intellectually arrogant when they erroneously evaluate their intellectual capacity to be higher than warranted, resulting in them being more closed-minded and biased than the intellectually humble person. People who are intellectually diffident are those who fail "to appropriately recognize or appreciate their intellectual achievements." Such a person is less inclined to speak out when he or she encounters wrong information.

See also

• Curiosity – Quality related to inquisitive thinking
• Humility – Quality of being humble
• Intellectual courage - Quality of willingness to critically analyze one's own strongly held beliefs and conclusions
• Modesty - Quality of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities
• Open-mindedness – Receptiveness to new ideas
• Skepticism – Doubtful attitude toward knowledge claims

References

Cited works

• Bąk, Wacław; Wójtowicz, Bartosz; Kutnik, Jan (2022). "Intellectual humility: an old problem in a new psychological perspective". Current Issues in Personality Psychology. 10 (2): 85–97. doi:10.5114/cipp.2021.106999. ISSN 2353-4192. PMC 10535625. S2CID 237964643.
• Davis, Don E.; Rice, Kenneth; McElroy, Stacey; DeBlaere, Cirleen; Choe, Elise; Van Tongeren, Daryl R.; Hook, Joshua N. (2016). "Distinguishing intellectual humility and general humility". The Journal of Positive Psychology. 11 (3): 215–224. doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1048818. ISSN 1743-9760. S2CID 7677411.
• Gertler, Brie (2020), "Self-Knowledge", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 26 October 2021
• Haggard, Megan C. (December 2016). Humility as Intellectual Virtue: Assessment and Uses of a Limitations-Owning Perspective of Intellectual Humility (PDF). Baylor University (PhD thesis). p. 2.
• Haggard, Megan; Rowatt, Wade C.; Leman, Joseph C.; Meagher, Benjamin; Moore, Courtney; Fergus, Thomas; Whitcomb, Dennis; Battaly, Heather; Baehr, Jason; Howard-Snyder, Dan (2018). "Finding middle ground between intellectual arrogance and intellectual servility: Development and assessment of the limitations-owning intellectual humility scale". Personality and Individual Differences. 124: 184–193. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.12.014. ISSN 0191-8869.
• McElroy, Stacey E.; Rice, Kenneth G.; Davis, Don E.; Hook, Joshua N.; Hill, Peter C.; Worthington, Everett L.; Van Tongeren, Daryl R. (2014). "Intellectual Humility: Scale Development and Theoretical Elaborations in the Context of Religious Leadership". Journal of Psychology and Theology. 42 (1): 19–30. doi:10.1177/009164711404200103. ISSN 0091-6471. S2CID 140754416.
• Leary, Mark R. (2018), The Psychology of Intellectual Humility (PDF), John Templeton Foundation
• Leary, Mark R.; Diebels, Kate J.; Davisson, Erin K.; Jongman-Sereno, Katrina P.; Isherwood, Jennifer C.; Raimi, Kaitlin T.; Deffler, Samantha A.; Hoyle, Rick H. (2017). "Cognitive and Interpersonal Features of Intellectual Humility". Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin. 43 (6): 793–813. doi:10.1177/0146167217697695. ISSN 0146-1672. PMID 28903672. S2CID 4560853.
• Lynch, Michael P.; Johnson, Casey Rebecca; Sheff, Nathan; Gunn, Hanna (2016), Intellectual Humility in Public Discourse. Literature Review, University of Connecticut{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Porter, Tenelle Joan (May 2015). Intellectual Humility, Mindset and Learning (Thesis). Stanford University.
• Samuelson, Peter L.; Jarvinen, Matthew J.; Paulus, Thomas B.; Church, Ian M.; Hardy, Sam A.; Barrett, Justin L. (2015). "Implicit theories of intellectual virtues and vices: A focus on intellectual humility". Journal of Positive Psychology. 10 (5): 389–406. doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.967802. hdl:20.500.11820/7e3d77d3-9615-4aae-8c4c-fc3779e26bf1. ISSN 1743-9760. S2CID 59396596.
• Whitcomb, Dennis; Battaly, Heather; Baehr, Jason; Howard-Snyder, Daniel (2017). "Intellectual Humility: Owning Our Limitations". Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. 94 (3): 509–539. doi:10.1111/phpr.12228. S2CID 56379087.
• Zmigrod, Leor; Zmigrod, Sharon; Rentfrow, Peter Jason; Robbins, Trevor W. (2019). "The psychological roots of intellectual humility: The role of intelligence and cognitive flexibility". Personality and Individual Differences. 141: 200–208. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2019.01.016. ISSN 0191-8869. S2CID 149462467.

Books

• Aberdein, Andrew (2020). "Intellectual Humility and Argumentation". In Alfano, Mark; Lynch, Michael; Tanesini, Alessandra (eds.). The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Humility. Routledge. pp. 325–334. Retrieved 2022-06-04. Paul is the only theorist in Ritchhart's survey to propose intellectual humility as a critical thinking disposition
• Church, Ian; Samuelson, Peter (2016). Intellectual Humility: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Science. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4742-3675-1.
• Paul, Richard (1990). Critical Thinking: What Every Person Needs to Survive in a Rapidly Changing World. Center for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique, Sonoma State University. pp. 54, 194. ISBN 0944583040. LCCN 90-80195.
• Snow, Nancy E. (2018). "15. Intellectual Humility". In Battaly, Heather (ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Virtue Epistemology. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-49528-4.

Further reading

• "Can Intellectual Humility Save Us from Ourselves?". JSTOR DAILY. JSTOR. 24 Jan 2024. Seven conversations "pairing scholars of intellectual humility with community leaders to explore manifestations of intellectual humility outside the academy."
• Resnick, Brian (2019). "Intellectual humility: the importance of knowing you might be wrong". Vox.
• Dolan, Eric (2019). "Intellectually humble people tend to possess more knowledge, study finds". PsyPost.