Simplicity is also an intellectual virtue. After all, we all act on what we think and many of us have met people who are proud of their minds and hearts, people who interpret humility as the Russian language, something indecipherable and not worth using. However, why is this type of self-centeredness so common?
This is not a random question or a complaint, lately we are increasingly appreciated the voices that reaffirm that our opinion is unique and true, it is increasingly difficult to hear an apology, to admit that we have made a mistake in something and that things could probably have been better. Intellectual egos flood social media and sometimes even the tables where we socialize.
- One example is this: just over a year ago.
- Psychologists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development proposed something decisive.
- The suggestion was aimed at any scientific communication: because of the large amount of erroneous or unrepresentable research.
- It was necessary to issue a public apology to warn that this look was false.
According to the proponent of this idea, Dr. Julia M. Rohrer, lack of intellectual humility is a cultural factor. It is so ingrained in our thoughts and behaviors that it is necessary for someone to set an example to follow.
If the world of science yields and admits that many of its conclusions are invalid, correct, or reproducible, there may be a first step, but is that possible?Opportunity is in our hands.
Have you ever been frustrated that someone refused to change their mind about something that seemed completely wrong?Definitely several times, isn’t it? Well, let’s think about the last time we realized our mistake and were able to admit it. Or is this common for you?
It is true that it is very difficult for people to realize that sometimes they make mistakes, sometimes our ignorance about certain aspects is more than obvious, but as we said before, is it the culture itself that leads us to fake this strength?vulnerability a kind of intellectual certainty that does not open up to errors or admit them.
Moreover, people often despise those who change their minds, it is as if the values, looks and beliefs we have today must be maintained to be consistent with ourselves, but in reality we are more than obliged to vary certain concepts because of our experience and maturity. Otherwise, we wouldn’t evolve.
The changes keep us informed and there is nothing wrong with defending with nails and teeth what we defended yesterday.
“Wisdom lies in the recognition of one’s ignorance, ” said Socrates. “The ostentation of knowledge itself is the worst scourge of human beings,” Michel de Montaigne said in the 16th century. Few philosophers did not know the absence of this dimension that we call intellectual humility in psychology.
Simplicity is also an intellectual virtue because, with it, we always take into account that we are prone to mistakes, that other opinions must be taken into account and that we must be aware of our blind spots, but what are those blind spots really?
These blind spots are blind spots that our brain does not perceive, that is, it is these prejudices that we are not aware of, it is our mental rigidity and cognitive closure with which we create barriers to contradictions, uncertainties and contrary opinions. .
Mark Leary, a social and personality psychologist at Duke University, points out something important: ignorance itself is invisible to us, we do not see it and, if we can see it, it will be very difficult to admit, because accepting that we are evil generates suffering, on the other hand, the simple person, the spirit that applies intellectual humility, will have no problem accepting error , which facilitates advancement, learning and even cognitive enrichment.
There are virtues that go unnoticed, but nevertheless have the remarkable ability to transform the world into a better place. One way or another, those who boast excessive self-confidence and arrogance, which are infallible and inflexible, always attract more attention. than others. They’re the ones who raise flags like, “I know everything and I never get it!”
And yet they make mistakes. They are wrong once, twice, ten times, because those who do not accept their mistakes repeat them, on the other hand, the person with cognitive and emotional humility controls himself and dares to do the right thing, not the easiest thing, although it means assuming mistakes and accepting other perspectives.
After all, simplicity is also an intellectual virtue, it stands out as an undeniable exercise in social and emotional health with which we dethrone the ego to elevate humility, causing prejudices to collapse to open the door to flexibility and understanding. are so necessary today, how about we try to exercise that skill?We will strive to make it happen!