Recognizing What You Are Unfamiliar With Can Enhance Your Perception of Intelligence
Recent research conducted at Pepperdine University suggests that individuals who are willing to admit when they don’t know something tend to possess greater knowledge. This study focused on a concept known as intellectual humility, which refers to the ability to recognize and openly acknowledge one’s lack of expertise on a particular subject.
Intellectual humility differs from general humility, which involves understanding and accepting one’s limitations. Historically, academics have linked general humility to improved learning outcomes and higher academic achievement due to the realization that there is always more to learn in order to expand one’s knowledge base.
Intellectual humility, on the other hand, involves acknowledging one’s cognitive limitations and understanding the fallibility of one’s own opinions and ideas. Embracing intellectual humility entails a willingness to be receptive to new information and signals a healthy detachment from one’s intellect and ego.
The study involved nearly 1,200 participants who underwent questionnaires to assess their cognitive abilities, self-predictions of those abilities, and levels of intellectual humility. To measure intellectual humility accurately, the researchers employed various psychological scales and models, revealing a consistent association between intellectual humility and broader knowledge.
While intellectually humble individuals may not possess exceptional cognitive abilities, they tend to have a more extensive knowledge base than those who lack humility. The researchers suggest that this knowledge advantage stems from humility prompting actions that facilitate ongoing learning, such as reflective thinking, curiosity, and openness to new ideas.
Research indicates that as individuals acquire more knowledge, they tend to exhibit increased intellectual humility, suggesting a reciprocal relationship between humility and knowledge acquisition. However, establishing which factor influences the other remains a complex question.
via GIPHY
The key takeaway from this study is that maintaining a sense of curiosity is beneficial, given the vastness of the world and the impossibility of knowing everything. Therefore, when faced with a question that stumps you, responding with a simple “I don’t know” may actually enhance how others perceive your intelligence.
For further insights on this study and related stories, refer to the video above.
(function() {
var loaded = false;
var loadFB = function() {
if (loaded) return;
loaded = true;
(function (d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s);
js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v3.0”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
};
setTimeout(loadFB, 0);
document.body.addEventListener(‘bimberLoadFbSdk’, loadFB);
})();