It is ok, not to know everything: Importance of Intellectual Humility (IH)

“Knowing what we don’t know is wisdom." – Johnson, 2022.

“To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease." – Tao Te Ching.

The world in general, has been negatively impacted by people holding tightly to limited belief systems, viewpoints, and thought processes without allowing for the possibility that they could be wrong. In certain situations, people are less likely to let go of their belief system, especially when their strong value-based beliefs, political views, and ethical views are challenged—for instance, people’s opinions about what makes a good political leader.

What is Intellectual Humility? IH is concerned with epistemic limitations⁴. IH is the degree to which an individual is willing to accept their knowledge, belief system, or opinion might be wrong. It allows for an openness to varied perspectives⁵. Varied fields (i.e., psychology, leadership, positive psychology, personality science, culture, education, etc.) have taken a keen interest in researching IH⁴. Psychologists refer to IH as an awareness of fallibility⁵. IH is a desirable trait that enables leaders, managers, politicians, researchers, scientists, and the common man to deal with current problems¹. Research has shown that IH can decrease polarised views and susceptibility to conspiracy theories, increase learning and discoveries, and establish new pathways for future generations to explore⁴.

Consequences of lack of IH: The following are some of the consequences of the lack of IH.

• Fixed mindset: The absence of IH could lead to a fixed mindset, making it difficult for the individual to grow and develop⁹.
• Overconfidence: Another issue that arises owing to a lack of intellectual humility is that individuals are less likely to get to the entire truth and are most often convinced that their version of the truth is the correct one⁵.
• Poor relationship, collaboration, and trust: Individuals who lack IH may also exhibit issues with their relationships, which could inhibit the ability to build a collaborative and trusting foundation⁵. A lack of IH can sometimes lead to person-shaming or opposing viewpoints, ideas, ideologies, etc., which can disrupt relationships with the person⁹. For instance, in a project, Meera and Priyanka both have diverse perspectives regarding project planning and execution. While Priyanka offers her ideas, Meera dismisses her ideas without considering them. Meera’s lack of intellectual humility leads her to shame her teammate’s idea in front of everyone, making her feel devalued and ignored.

Benefits of IH: When the organisation encourages and adopts IH as a value, there is an unsaid expectation to listen to every idea, belief system, value, and opinion with an open mind. Following are some of the benefits of IH.

• Learning environment: IH allows for a space wherein people are willing to accept that there are limitations to the knowledge they have, which helps cultivate a learning environment ^2,8. For instance, in an organisation, a manager who practises interpersonal humility might admit they don’t have all the answers and actively seek feedback from their team, thereby fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.
• Collaboration and trust: IH helps forge a collaborative and trusting relationship^{3, 8}. For instance, leaders with intellectual humility often allow all their team members to speak and express their viewpoints before coming to a significant decision, thus fostering collaboration and trust.
• Awareness: Another benefit of IH is that when employees adopt IH, they become aware that knowledge and truth are not absolutes⁹. It allows them to make discoveries and innovations and leads to scientific inventions⁹. For instance, how Netflix transitioned from a DVD rental service to a streaming platform. Recognising that the traditional model of video rental was not the only way to deliver content, Netflix’s team embraced the idea that there are multiple ways to achieve success.
• Curiosity: IH fosters a sense of curiosity as the individual is willing to accept that they can be wrong^8,11. Owing to intellectual curiosity, the individual asks questions and is willing to explore diverse perspectives^8,11. For instance, a project manager shows interpersonal humility by admitting he lacks expertise in new technology, prompting team members to seek input from engineers and researchers to explore all potential solutions and drive creative breakthroughs.

Cultivating intellectual humility: Knowing the benefits of IH and the consequences of lack of it is necessary to find ways to develop IH.

• Transparency: One way of cultivating intellectual humility is by choosing to be as transparent as possible with others about what one knows and doesn’t. Showing transparency in one’s limited knowledge develops a scope for further advancement⁹.
• Growth mindset: Adapting a growth mindset is another way to help improve IH1. A growth mindset is an approach that there is more to learn and thus one must constantly keep evolving¹. IH promotes a growth mindset, which is essential to improving workplace productivity and success¹. An example of this is when a team member openly admits they don’t know the answer to a problem and actively seeks feedback from others. This willingness to learn from others fosters personal growth and encourages continuous improvement.
• Empathy: Another way to increase IH is to be empathetic¹⁰. Empathy helps allow an individual to actively listen and be more mindful of the information shared by others and oneself⁶. It helps to accept limiting beliefs and knowledge⁶. For example, Meera, during a team meeting, listens attentively as her colleague, Priyanka, presents an innovative proposal for a project. Instead of dismissing Tom’s ideas immediately, Meera asks probing questions to understand his perspective. Meera’s empathetic approach fosters a collaborative atmosphere where Priyanka feels valued.

In conclusion, IH is crucial for personal and professional growth, fostering a mindset that embraces learning and openness. By acknowledging the limitations of our knowledge and valuing diverse perspectives, we can enhance collaboration, drive innovation, and improve decision-making. Cultivating IH not only helps individuals overcome fixed mindsets but also builds more effective, empathetic, and dynamic teams.

For further learning:

• https://www.ted.com/talks/farah_nasser_the_power_of_intellectual_humility?geo=hi&subtitle=en
• https://www.ted.com/talks/marvin_epstein_why_humility_matters_in_leadership?geo=hi&subtitle=en

References:

1. Bąk W, Wójtowicz B, Kutnik J. Intellectual humility: an old problem in a new psychological perspective. Current Issues in Personality Psychology. 2021

2. Du J, Cai Y. Owning One’s Intellectual Limitations: A Review of Intellectual Humility. Psychology. 2020;11(07):1009–20.

3. Five Reasons Why Intellectual Humility Is Good for You [Internet]. Greater Good. Available from:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_reasons_why_intellectual_humility_is_good_for_you

4. Porter T, Elnakouri A, Meyers EA, Shibayama T, Jayawickreme E, Grossmann I. Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility. Nature Reviews Psychology [Internet]. 2022 Jun 27;1:1–13. Available from:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44159-022-00081-9#Abs1

5. Leary M. What does intellectual humility look like? [Internet]. Greater Good. 2021. Available from:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_does_intellectual_humility_look_like

6. Ludwig JM, Schumann K, Porter T. Humble and apologetic? Predicting apology quality with intellectual and general humility. Personality and Individual Differences. 2022 Apr;188:111477.

7. Marcellus [Internet]. Marcellus. 2019 [cited 2024 Aug 26]. Available from:
https://marcellus.in/story/intellectual-humility-the-importance-of-knowing-you-might-be-wrong/

8. Maricel Dicion. Is Intellectual Humility the Key to Unlocking Your True Potential? [Internet]. Women of Influence. 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 26]. Available from:
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2024/07/22/is-intellectual-humility-the-key-to-unlocking-your-true-potential/

9. Marcellus [Internet]. Marcellus. 2019 [cited 2024 Aug 26]. Available from:
https://marcellus.in/story/intellectual-humility-the-importance-of-knowing-you-might-be-wrong/

10. Stark B. The Consequences of Intellectual Humility (and its absence) [Internet]. Medium. Medium; 2019 [cited 2024 Aug 26]. Available from:
https://medium.com/@brennanstark/the-consequences-of-intellectual-humility-and-its-absence-d159512524f3

11. tcoretto. A Humble Recommendation for Intellectual Humility – Declaring Freedom [Internet]. Declaring Freedom. 2021 [cited 2024 Aug 26]. Available from:
https://declaringfreedom.com/a-humble-recommendation-for-intellectual-humility/

12. Van D. The Curious Joy Of Being Wrong – Intellectual Humility Means Being Open To New Information And Willing To Change Your Mind [Internet]. Discover Magazine. Discover Magazine; 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 26]. Available from:
https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/the-curious-joy-of-being-wrong-intellectual-humility-means-being-open-to-new