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It's funny, I always considered myself one of the most humble people i know. Guess this explains why I am so knowledgeable about so many topics.
It's a finding more pithily stated by the poet W.B. Yeats: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity" - The Second Coming (poem).
> The fact is, people who base their self-worth on being right about everything prevent themselves from learning from their mistakes. They lack the ability to take on new perspectives and empathize with others. They close themselves off to new and important information. From The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.
It often feels like this, "everyone is dead inside but me", and when we make these sweeping generalizations we'll find plenty of instances to justify them. But we really can't peer in each others' heads, and over time I realized that when I acted on these kinds of assumptions, I behaved like a fucking tool.
> The fact is, people who base their self-worth on being right about everything prevent themselves from learning from their mistakes. They lack the ability to take on new perspectives and empathize with others. They close themselves off to new and important information. From The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.
I would argue that is a bit poorly phrased. One can base their self-worth on being right and simultaneously be humble enough to understand one can never truly know it all and thus be open to criticism and improvement. Or is there something deeper from the book that better explains the point?
It's funny, I always considered myself one of the most humble people i know. Guess this explains why I am so knowledgeable about so many topics.
This is a description of the Dunning-Kruger effect. While Dunning-Kruger is a popular topic around tech circles, I'm not so sure about the general population. I wish people weren't so ignorant about their own ignorance. Edit: Adding clarity People who have superior general knowledge have greater intellectual humility because they are more aware of their own ignorance and the complexities of the subject matter. Those…
It's a finding more pithily stated by the poet W.B. Yeats: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity" - The Second Coming (poem).
+1 for Yeats
1) I am willing to admit if I don't know something.
2) I like to compliment others on their intellectual strengths.
3) I try to reflect on my weaknesses in order to develop my intelligence.
4) I actively seek feedback on my ideas, even if it is critical.
5) I acknowledge when someone knows more than me about a certain subject.
6) If someone doesn't understand my idea, it's probably because they aren't smart enough to get it. (reverse)
7) I sometimes marvel at the intellectual abilities of other people.
8) I feel uncomfortable when someone points out one of my intellectual shortcomings. (reverse)
9) I don't like it when someone points out an intellectual mistake that I made. (reverse)
Critique: I can see some confounding problems right away. When I was younger I was pretty painfully shy, so (4) I would not seek feedback, but not out of a lack of humility. Also (3) I don't get, because while I am extremely motivated by intellectual curiosity, I have maybe zero motivation to "develop my intelligence" like it was some kind of fitness thing. Also maybe I'm a wierdo but I don't think so much in terms of people being "smart", I think it is something you do. That is, it's hard work.
And with (8) and (9), it takes training to not feel uncomfortable or to not dislike it when someone points out your mistakes or shortcomings. I don't think that is really related to humility. In fact if you are super critical of yourself and judge yourself poorly compared to other people, you still hate it if anybody else points it out.
I'm not sure this is necessarily a mark of my humility.
This is a description of the Dunning-Kruger effect. While Dunning-Kruger is a popular topic around tech circles, I'm not so sure about the general population. I wish people weren't so ignorant about their own ignorance. Edit: Adding clarity People who have superior general knowledge have greater intellectual humility because they are more aware of their own ignorance and the complexities of the subject matter. Those…
Ignorance of what? Your reality or their own?