Changing your mind with new info isn't flip-flopping

Intellectual humility from Socrates to teens to clinicians US Edition - Today's top story: The curious joy of being wrong – intellectual humility means being open to new information and willing to change your mind [View in browser]( US Edition | 2 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Have you heard of intellectual humility? As a concept, it’s gained a lot of attention from researchers over the past few years, and The Conversation has been producing a series of articles that dig into what they’ve been investigating. Today we share the latest, from psychology scholar Daryl Van Tongeren, who explains that intellectual humility has to do with “awareness and ownership of the limitations and biases in what you know and how you know it.” It means being open to new information related to your beliefs, ideas and worldviews – and being willing to change your mind to line up with strong evidence. Van Tongeren provides some very personal examples, along with an explanation of [how intellectual humility can be an asset in your life](. Our series has explored intellectual humility in a number of areas. A philosopher and a religious studies professor [walked us through Socrates’ version of this idea](: that being humble about one’s own views is necessary in the search for truth. A lack of this humility, on the other hand, would lead to “an inability to acknowledge, empathize with and ultimately compromise with opinions and perspectives different from one’s own” – sounds like a pretty good description of our modern moment of extreme political polarization. Other articles suggested that scientific progress relies on “openness to the possibility, indeed strong likelihood, that nobody is in possession of the full truth, and that [others, too, may have insights, ideas and evidence]( that should be taken into account.” We laid out [how to have better disagreements]( and described [how teenagers fare in school when they acknowledge]( they don’t actually know it all. Editing stories for [this series]( has opened my own eyes to how easy it is to default to a defensive, blinders-up position in so many parts of life. It feels like everyone brushing up on our intellectual humility could only be a good thing for 2024. [ [Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world](. ] Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor Sometimes the evidence points you in a new direction. Schon/Moment via Getty Images [The curious joy of being wrong – intellectual humility means being open to new information and willing to change your mind]( Daryl Van Tongeren, Hope College 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. Series on intellectual humility [What Socrates’ ‘know nothing’ wisdom can teach a polarized America]( J. W. Traphagan, The University of Texas at Austin; John J. Kaag, UMass Lowell Athens was deeply polarized over big-picture questions, and Socrates was never hesitant to question both sides’ assumptions – or his own. [Intellectual humility is a key ingredient for scientific progress]( Michael Dickson, University of South Carolina 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. [Why can’t Americans agree on, well, nearly anything? Philosophy has some answers]( James Steiner-Dillon, University of Dayton Two concepts can help explain why society seems increasingly unable to agree on basic facts. [To have better disagreements, change your words – here are 4 ways to make your counterpart feel heard and keep the conversation going]( Julia Minson, Harvard Kennedy School Researchers have identified ways to have more productive conversations – even when you’re talking to someone who holds an opposite view. - [Respectful persuasion is a relay race, not a solo sprint – 3 keys to putting it in practice]( Colin Marshall, University of Washington Immanuel Kant’s ideas about respect are still important today, in a world where social media and echo chambers make manipulation easy. - [Teens don’t know everything − and those who acknowledge that fact are more eager to learn]( Tenelle Porter, Rowan University Being aware of ignorance and fallibility can make people more teachable, and perhaps it could make people feel helpless and disempowered. - [A researcher’s prescription for better health care: A dose of humility for doctors, nurses and clinicians]( Barret Michalec, Arizona State University Research shows that when health care professionals work in a collaborative manner, patient satisfaction and outcomes improve. 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