While intellectual humility is often praised as a virtue, it can sometimes be a crutch that prevents us from striving for greater insights. The notion that the best thinkers and builders are not just intellectually humble, but also intellectually ambitious, suggests that we should not merely hold opinions tentatively but actively seek out transformative ideas worth standing by.
When I examine my own approach, I notice that humility can serve as a comfortable facade. It keeps the ego in check, yes, but it can also limit one’s willingness to take the intellectual leaps required to be truly groundbreaking. It’s not about recklessness; it’s about calculated audacity.
There’s a tension between caution and ambition that’s worth exploring. Caution might keep us from making grave mistakes, but it may also keep us from the game-changing bets that could redefine our fields, or our lives. This is particularly apparent in the concept of “superforecasters,” whose modus operandi often emphasizes caution and tentativeness. While this cautious approach has merits, it may miss out on the psychological willpower required to stick with bold visions.
This raises a pivotal question: can you be both humble and ambitious? I think the answer lies in what you’re ambitious about. If your ambition is toward gaining a deeper, nuanced understanding and making a meaningful impact, then that’s a form of ambition worth pursuing. However, if it’s about proving yourself right at all costs, then that’s where the danger lies.
So, if you find yourself leaning too heavily on intellectual humility, consider recalibrating your mindset. Honor the work that achieving real knowledge demands and embrace it as a path to a life fully and consciously lived. After all, it’s those bets worth making that often lead to the most fulfilling outcomes.
Read more at: Intellectual Humility Is a Cop-out
You may also be interested in: We think humility is putting yourself down