A ten-year-old once spent twenty minutes arguing with her teacher about Pluto being a planet. She had learned that it was a planet from her first-grade teacher, and she was not going to be persuaded otherwise. Her teacher finally pulled up the official report from the International Astronomical Union, explaining why Pluto had ceased to be a planet, and the girl conceded, remarking that it all made sense now.
At dinner, she eagerly explained the situation to her parents. She was not embarrassed about her error; she was rather happy about it. That little girl’s parents were lucky, for in that moment, they witnessed a display of intellectual humility, one of the most sought-after traits in a child that is also one of the most difficult to obtain.
What Is Intellectual Humility?
The ability to think critically begins when a person learns to think through evidence, and that quality is what allows them to recognize when one’s mind may be changed.
In a digital era where information is abundant, but good information is scarce, we must teach our children the skills to differentiate the two.
A ten-year old can read something on Google and believe it to be true without a second thought. Misinformation moves faster than rebuttals. Various studies on the sharing of social media posts have shown that fake news is shared, on average, five times more than genuine stories. A child who is unable to think through this will simply accept the louder opinion, and the loudest opinions are not always the right ones. This is especially important when considering the long-term effects of our choices; from the most basic decisions on whether to accept the terms of an end-user license agreement to higher-level decisions like medical diagnoses and the evaluation of job offers.
This is what underlies all of these decisions: the ability to understand one’s evidence-based opinion and to apply the same to others’ evidence-based opinions. It is what prevents us from being taken advantage of, as advertisers and manipulators of all kinds exploit weaker thought processes to get their answers across.
What Is Not Intellectual Humility?
Intellectual Humility is not being indecisive or not having an opinion, but rather holding one’s thoughts and opinions close enough to be acted upon, while being able to keep them loose enough to be improved.
An example of this can be seen in the works of naturalist pioneer Charles Darwin. He kept meticulous records of observations he made as he traveled the world to better understand life on earth. However, when he published Origin of Species, he included a detailed list of evidence that would contradict his own claims in order to prove to his peers and the greater public that his words, however right they might have been from a higher power, were backed by actual science.
How Can Kids Learn?
Having a parent or a teacher make an honest mistake in front of a child and then admit it can be very valuable, allowing the child to understand what it means when someone is mistaken, and how to accept such information in their own lives.
Praising the ability to come around to a new perspective or the ability to recognize good evidence when one sees it is equally important.
An example of this can be seen in children’s debating clubs, where kids are required to argue from the viewpoint of a specific character. Many of these debaters will say that they found being on the opposite side of a debate and having to argue it was the most useful thing they’ve experienced, as it taught them to truly understand and respect an opposing viewpoint rather than simply dismissing it outright.
What Can It Lead To?
Beyond helping people grow into balanced and thoughtful adults, intellectual humility also fosters growth in other areas of life.
Resilience is one such area, as the ability to hold on to one’s principles rather than one’s opinions provides a kind of padding from which one grows stronger. People also tend to become more empathetic, as they are more able to listen to others’ concerns without immediately disagreeing.
By teaching a child how to change their mind, we raise them not to be unshakable and unbending in everything they believe, but be balanced and confident in their principles. It teaches them that being right is not always important, while being just is always necessary.
