Intellectual Humility

First a few facts, and then I will tell you a story.

The majority of published academic research articles have results that cannot be replicated by peers.

There are times when a researcher will lose confidence in their previous research findings but readers may never find out.

We, as humans, understand and discover just as imperfectly as we live.

Now, for a story:

In my early 20s, I lived with my close friend while attending college. About a year into our college journey, she decided she would start her own business. Everyone had opinions about her decision, some even voiced their opposition with regularity being willing to tell her all the ways in which she was making a mistake. While dealing with all the unsolicited advice, she recounted a conversation she had that changed the way I engaged in conversation with everyone and myself.

One evening, while she was being informed about her poor decision-making by a family member, she stopped them by saying, "You could be right". And, she really understood that to be true. She could be making a mistake and her unwanted advisor could be right. This is where intellectual humility started for me. I learned to hold my ideas, beliefs, plans, and even some facts with a loose grip. It was freeing for me to be able to say 'I don't know' and to allow myself the ability to do more research, doubt myself, and entertain new ideas.

A few things happen when you are fond of intellectual humility. First, you will likely make better decisions over time because you are willing to question yourself and shore up your knowledge if needed. Second, you value the wealth of wisdom found in your community through enlightening conversation and seeking mentors. Third, you develop a greater awareness of what you know and what you know you don't know which helps you to be realistic about your abilities.

From one mental health autodidact to another, I encourage you to use this principle as a guide when you are reading new research about SMIs, treatment modalities, or psychotropics. For a refresher on how to evaluate a journal article, this can help. And this is a quick primer on interpreting the research in a journal article.