The Power of Not Knowing

Cultivating intellectual humility is the only way that leads to holistic learning.

“I disagree with myself.” This is what a fifth-grade girl?said in front of her English class?during a discussion about English grammar.?

She used the punctuation in a particular way and when her classmate presented counter-evidence, she considered her point. “I didn’t think of it that way,” she said. “Thank you very much for bringing that up.”

This fifth grader was demonstrating intellectual humility, recognizing the limits of her knowledge and valuing the insight of her classmate.

In a culture wherein confidence is hugely admired and mistakes are generally ridiculed, such admission of limitation in knowledge is commendable.?

The question is, how many of us understand and practice intellectual humility?

"Intellectual humility is the acknowledgement that we do not know everything, and that what we do know, we could be wrong about." - Mark Leary

The disappearance of ‘I don’t know’

The phrases like “I don’t know” or “maybe I need to understand it better’ have almost disappeared from our discourse.?

From the job applicant who must claim to have mastered 100 different skills to politicians who need to have a confident opinion on every news event, the modern world does not boost curiosity and intellectual humility for people to admit when they lack knowledge or skills.?

However, by refusing to recognize our ignorance, we limit our chances for personal development. – Practicing intellectual humility and saying “I don’t know” is key to adopt growth mindset, it is most powerful way to become smarter and more intelligent individual.

As a culture, we are supposed to have all the answers and are expected to know everything.

The most powerful words that can help you learn are “I don’t know” because if you have the confidence and courage to acknowledge that you do not know something, you can then ask others for help and can use the resources around you effectively.

Some of you might be thinking that if intellectual humility offers any real benefits in terms of learning.?

Well, in my view, it may not help on the surface; however, deep down it puts you on a track of genuine learning and continuous growth.

What happens when you know it all?

The biggest problem you have is that you know it all. And all you know is the root cause of your problems. For all the questions people ask you or you ask yourself, you have an answer, and that answer is a problem because that answer is coming from your belief. Belief is the problem.

When you do not acknowledge what you do not know,?confirmation bias?comes into action, as you purposefully seek out evidence or data that confirms your supposed knowledge and avoid that which might prove you do not know enough to make a sensible decision.

Seeing things as it is and seeing the reality can liberate you from these beliefs. But what is reality? How to know the reality? What you call is reality is nothing but your perspective. The moment you change your position, perspective changes. What is night for you is day for someone in some part of the world.?

You need to understand what reality is and see things from the perspective of reality, science and facts.

We need to listen more to understand, a little less efforts in trying to convince, a little less exertion in trying to prove your point, and a lot more intellectual humility.

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel J. Boorstin

The power of not knowing can help us to

?? Cultivate curiosity: When we acknowledge that we don't know everything, we become more curious and open to new ideas and experiences.

?? Foster creativity: When we don't have all the answers, we are forced to think outside the box and come up with new solutions.

?? Build resilience: Accepting uncertainty can help us to develop resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges and setbacks.

?? Embrace learning: When we are open to not knowing, we are more willing to learn from others and to seek out new knowledge and experiences.

?? Build empathy: When we recognize that we don't have all the answers, we become more empathetic and open to others' perspectives.

In a world where knowledge is constantly evolving, embracing the power of not knowing can help us to remain humble, curious, and open to new possibilities.

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