Intellectual Humility

Epistemic Hygiene

Definition

Recognition of the limits of one's knowledge and the fallibility of one's beliefs. Intellectual humility involves openness to new information and willingness to revise beliefs based on evidence.

How It Shows Up Internally

Feels like curiosity rather than certainty, comfort with saying "I don't know," and genuine interest in how others reached different conclusions. Contrasts with defensiveness about beliefs.

Examples

  • 1Actively seeking out arguments against your position
  • 2Changing your mind when presented with compelling evidence
  • 3Distinguishing between high-confidence and low-confidence beliefs

Related Modules

Intellectual Humility

15 min • 1 sections

Related Patterns

certainty trapbelief defense

Related Terms

Epistemic Hygiene

Practices that maintain the accuracy and reliability of one's beliefs. Epistemic hygiene includes source evaluation, bias awareness, and regular belief auditing.