"I am using the word humility both in its common meaning and in a more specific sense. We should begin with personal humility - recognizing the limits of our knowledge, that others know more than we do, and that, in any specific instance, we might be wrong. Humility in this sense ("I don't know enough about this problem" or "I could be wrong") is an antidote to pathological certainty, and it's almost entirely absent from current political arguments, at all levels."
"An attitude of humility requires that we recognize the complexity of most social and political problems. Every policy, domestic or international, is likely to have both good and bad effects. Every policy will help some people and impose costs on others. Every policy will address some priorities but not others. Every policy or course of action is likely to have unanticipated and unintended consequences. Humility requires an awareness that there are other perspectives we may not have considered."
Humility begins with recognizing knowledge limits, acknowledging others may know more, and admitting the possibility of being wrong. Intellectual humility also means asking about the limits of personal beliefs and acknowledging perspectives not yet considered. Complex social and political problems typically produce both benefits and harms; policies will help some people while imposing costs on others and may produce unanticipated consequences. Humility restrains pathological certainty, reduces tribalism, and creates guard rails against extremism and contempt. Humility invites questions about where ideological priorities can accommodate competing concerns and trade-offs.
Read at Psychology Today
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