Daryl Van Tongeren explains what it means to be intellectually humble, and why it’s so important right now on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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Articles on Intellectual humility
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Intellectual humility doesn’t mean anyone can change your mind, a philosopher writes – but it might mean learning from the ‘other side’ in surprising ways.
Intellectual humility includes owning your own biases and the possibility that you’re wrong about your beliefs or worldview. It means being open to changing your mind in response to new information.
Being aware of ignorance and fallibility can make people more teachable, and perhaps it could make people feel helpless and disempowered.
Do you dread delivering or receiving feedback at work? Two organizational behavior experts describe a better way to have these difficult conversations.
An intellectually humble person may have strong commitments to various beliefs − but balanced with an openness to the likelihood that others, too, may have valuable insights, ideas and evidence.
Research shows that when health care professionals work in a collaborative manner, patient satisfaction and outcomes improve.
Being open to the possibility you could be wrong about your beliefs is an important part of learning about the world. But this trait is not enough on its own.
Humility doesn’t get the fanfare of virtues like courage, compassion or generosity. But without humility, those other virtues won’t get much traction in the quest to live a good life.
Researchers have identified ways to have more productive conversations – even when you’re talking to someone who holds an opposite view.
Ancient Greek philosophers despised the Sophists’ rhetoric because it searched for relative truth, not absolutes. But learning how to do that thoughtfully can help constructive debates.
Immanuel Kant’s ideas about respect are still important today, in a world where social media and echo chambers make manipulation easy.
Athens was deeply polarized over big-picture questions, and Socrates was never hesitant to question both sides’ assumptions – or his own.
Two concepts can help explain why society seems increasingly unable to agree on basic facts.
How doctors care for their patients is highly influenced by clinical guidelines. Recommendations based on anecdotal experience or poor data can harm patients.
Many Americans think they know much more about politics than they really do. That overconfidence can thwart democratic politics.
Here are some reasons for the natural human tendency to avoid or reject new information that runs counter to what you already know – and some tips on how to do better.
When ideological enemies talk across their great divides, something good can happen – it reduces stereotypes and inflammatory language directed at people who don’t agree on the abortion rights issue.
People tend to stick with their stated beliefs. But here’s how external forces like vaccine mandates can push people to do something they don’t want to do – and provide some face-saving cover.
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Associate Professor of Psychology, Hope College
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Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut
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Associate Professor of Law, University of Dayton
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Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Washington
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Professor of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin
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Gehring Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan
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Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Chief Medical Officer at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Southern California
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Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
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Lecturer of Writing & Rhetoric, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Associate Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
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Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Professor of Philosophy, UMass Lowell
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Professor of Psychology, College of Charleston
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Professor of Psychology & Senior Research Fellow, Program for Leadership and Character, Wake Forest University
