You’re pretty smart, right?
It’s widely said that the most outspoken people on a subject know the least but think they know most. Really, it’s just a polite way of saying that stupid people are loud and proud, as the Dunning-Kruger effect illustrates.
According to research, many of us generally tend to be poor judges of our own abilities, intellectual or otherwise. When people face a situation, they don’t take the time to carefully evaluate the information available to them before making a decision. Instead, they often default to the answer that requires the least mental effort – no matter how smart they are. As it turns out, smarter people are even more vulnerable to such thinking errors involving intellectual limitations.
As unlikely as it sounds, everyone really is walking around, blissfully ignorant of their ignorance. Intellectual humility is a character virtue that recognizes this fallibility in one’s own perception of self. Owning your cognitive limitations and being open to the possibility of being wrong is essential to critical thinking.
The Importance of Intellectual Humility
At first glance, humility is a rather peculiar concept. Apparently, a humble person is not supposed to recognize how special they are. On the one hand, it’s pretty difficult not to recognize how incredible you are when you excel at what you do. And on the other, humility is not about downplaying your talents, abilities, or achievements–it’s about recognizing that there’s always room to learn and grow, even from the most unlikely of sources.
It’s important to remember that pretty much everyone underestimates how much they know. That’s why people tend to stubbornly cling to beliefs and tune out all differing opinions. It’s true for politics and religion as much as it’s true for subjects like fashion or lifestyles.
Humility is also sometimes conflated with a lack of confidence or low self-esteem. But, it takes a pretty confident person to recognize and admit their shortcomings. Intellectual humility leaves you well-positioned to learn as much as possible from anyone, not just your peers or those you admire. What this means is you have the cognitive flexibility to revise your attitudes.
Naturally, intellectual thinking is important for analytical and critical thinking. Intellectually arrogant people don’t have the capacity to question themselves or their beliefs. They stagnate at a cognitive level because they’re not open to new or conflicting ideas.
Plus, it’s a crucial characteristic of all great leaders. A manager who’s low in intellectual ability isn’t necessarily open to feedback, neither are they willing to learn from others. Yet, good leadership requires broadness of perspective. It also requires you to understand your shortcomings and seek out help when you need it.
How Can You Develop More Intellectual Humility?
An intellectually humble person is one who’s willing to admit when they’re wrong or struggling to understand something. But you don’t wake up intellectually humble; it’s a habit you must cultivate until it becomes second nature. It’s the only way to overcome blind spots and gaps in your thinking.
Let’s see how you can nurture the habit of intellectual humility.
1. Cultivate a growth mindset
Having a fixed mindset is one of the biggest obstacles to intellectual humility. Those who believe that traits like intelligence or talents are fixed by way of the genetic lottery lack the openness required to truly be intellectually humble. High achievers with a fixed mindset carry an air of intellectual arrogance because they presume they “already know everything.”
Contrastingly, people with a fixed mindset who struggle intellectually tend to experience feelings of inferiority, causing them to cling even more tightly to their opinions.
Having a growth mindset is about understanding that (1) there are limits to your intelligence and (2) there’s room to grow, learn, and improve. Simply put, intelligence is malleable, like a muscle that can be strengthened.
2. Learn to appreciate other people’s viewpoints
Listening and comprehension are two skills everyone needs to improve upon. Make an effort to listen past your blind spots. Your own needs, biases, and experiences easily distort what you hear. Two people will listen to the same story and learn different lessons.
When you become receptive to seeing or understanding the world the way other people do, then you’ll be better able to understand their viewpoint. Now, this doesn’t mean that you agree with them. A great majority of people believe accepting another person’s viewpoint is tantamount to accepting defeat. But it’s really about developing the ability to see the complexities of a situation.
Make earnest efforts to listen to what others have to say. You might just learn something.
3. Develop a passion for lifelong learning
Lifelong learning refers to a form of self-initiated education that’s focused on personal growth and development. Look at the world around you. None of the infrastructure or inventions that make modern life what it is would have been possible without the innate human drive to explore, learn and grow.
Developing intellectual humility requires you to keep this passion burning. Then you’ll feel motivated enough to seek out the truth for yourself. Another upside of lifelong learning is that it leads to higher levels of personal fulfillment and satisfaction.
p.s. – Are you living up to your full potential? Book a free trial session and we’ll see if we’re a fit for working together.
Paul Strobl, MBA, CPC
Owner of Confide Coaching, LLC
Paul is a Master Life Coach for GenX and GenY executives and business owners. Originally from Houston, Texas, he has been location independent for most of his adult life. He currently resides in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria near the Greek border with his brilliant wife, 13-year-old stepson (officially adopted in 2021!) and a Posavac Hound rescue.
