William McKenzie: A new UT study reveals the benefits of practicing intellectual humility.
Contributing columnist William McKenzie writes about a new study that shows intellectual humility not only helps us connect with one another, but makes us more persuasive.Violent attacks on political opponents.
Fear of giving an inch to a contrasting point of view. The rise of macho masculinity. These are among the manifestations of a hardening of our political and cultural edges, leading to winner-take-all struggles. Things don’t have to be this way. And no one must give up their convictions for our edges to lose their hardness. We just need to show some intellectual humility in our exchanges with others.by Natalie J. Stroud and Caroline Murray reveals the benefits of practicing such humility, which they define as being open to engaging respectfully with opposing viewpoints and recognizing the limits of one’s own knowledge.for Media Engagement, and Murray, senior research associate at the center, tested this thesis: Exposure to online posts that run counter to one’s beliefs but are nonetheless expressed with intellectual humility will diminish animosity toward opposing partisans compared to similar posts with less humility.Through the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center, they asked 1,047 people about four topics: Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage, cutting corporate income taxes, and preventing social media from restricting free speech. In other words, two topics aligned with political liberals and two with political conservatives. They then showed the participants a series of online posts that dealt with each topic. Using intellectual humility when articulating political viewpoints online increased a willingness to engage with others. Expressions of intellectual humility increased perceptions of the warmth and competence of the person posting a comment. Political posts that indicated an openness to different opinions and acknowledged the limits of one’s knowledge led people holding opposing views to rate the original poster as more likable and competent. That competence aspect is crucial. There is a temptation to think others will consider us weak or ineffective if we show humility. So, we muscle up and push our view harder. But these findings reveal something quite the opposite. Showing humility through such simple acts as being open to new information strengthens perceptions of competence. We even can acknowledge the limits of our own knowledge and not fear losing standing with someone who holds a different point of view. One way to practice such humility in our daily lives involves “hedging.” The researchers define the term as a communication technique that corresponds with intellectual humility. The practice involves using phrases like “I don’t know,” “sometimes,” “sort of” and “maybe.”Sadly, the study found that people presumed men are less likely to show humility. Breaking through the machismo we see when men insult their opponents or, worse, attack them physically will take practice. But the research shows that being intellectually humble doesn’t imply a lack of conviction. That revelation should assuage the fears of warrior males who worry showing humility will require them to forsake or compromise their beliefs. In fact, others will see them as strong and competent.To be sure, some people may simply prefer engaging in intellectual combat or demonizing their opponents. They may want to live in an us-versus-them world. And the social scientist Arthur BrooksBut practicing intellectual humility offers those of us who are worn out by the raging that goes on in our society a way to connect with others. The study found that intellectual humility can make individuals feel less distant from others with different perspectives, who are known in academic jargon as the “out party.” Intellectual humility even can lead to a willingness to engage with others online, where extremists like to shout.for Conflict and Cooperation, reports this field of study is fairly new within psychology. But, she says, learning about the concept can lead to its use. Preliminary research reveals that demonstrating humility can prompt others to do so, too.That tracks with what Stroud said during a recent interview: “You can learn these communication skills. People are receptive to the language of intellectual humility.” Here’s the encouraging bottom line for our society: We can engage with people who hold different views and not walk away loathing them. High humility, Stroud and Murray conclude, may upend our expectation that a person with a different view is uncivil and impolite. Perhaps best of all, being open to new information or showing a willingness to critique our own point of view doesn’t mean we have to give up our beliefs and values. My hunch is that the fear of acknowledging any validity to an opposing view stands in the way of de-escalating political conflict. So, the next time we engage with someone on social media, in the classroom, at the workplace, or even in everyday conversation, let’s start with acknowledging the other’s viewpoint, show our willingness to take in new information, and try one of those hedging phrases, like “sometimes” and “maybe” to take the absolute certitude out of our voice.Whitfield: Tragedy as deep as Texas flood defies easy answersWilliam McKenzie is senior editorial advisor at the George W. Bush Institute, a Pulitzer-winning journalist, a former Dallas Morning News staffer and an adjunct journalism lecturer at SMU. He is a Contributing Columnist to The Dallas Morning News.
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