You have a belief. The belief has been part of you for years. The belief is part of the way you see the world, the way you make decisions, the way you relate to the people around you. The belief is also, in some quiet moments, vulnerable. The belief might be wrong. The belief might be incomplete. The belief might be the product of the cultural conditioning, the emotional investment, or the social pressure, rather than the careful consideration. The questioning of the belief is one of the most courageous acts in modern life, and the act is one of the most under-recognized, and most under-developed, skills of mature adulthood.
Intellectual courage is the willingness to question the beliefs that are most central to the self-concept, the social identity, and the worldview. The willingness is the source of the growth, and the growth is the foundation of the meaningful life. The willingness is rare, and the rareness is the source of one of the most significant, and most under-discussed, phenomena in contemporary culture.
What Intellectual Courage Is
Intellectual courage is the willingness to engage with the information, the perspectives, and the arguments that might disconfirm the beliefs that are most central to the self-concept. The engagement is the source of the potential revision of the beliefs, and the revision is the source of the growth.
Research on epistemic humility by Mark Leary and others has shown that the capacity to hold the beliefs with the openness to revision is one of the most reliable markers of the intellectual maturity. The openness is the source of the growth, and the growth is the foundation of the meaningful life.
Research on belief revision in cognitive science has shown that the most accurate beliefs are the ones that have been repeatedly subjected to the disconfirming evidence. The subjecting is the source of the accuracy, and the accuracy is the foundation of the effective decision-making.
Why the Questioning Is So Hard
The questioning of the own beliefs is hard for several reasons. The first is the ego investment. The beliefs are, in most cases, deeply tied to the self-concept. The questioning is the source of the identity threat, and the threat is the source of the resistance.
Research on cognitive dissonance by Leon Festinger has shown that the brain is highly motivated to maintain the consistency between the beliefs and the self-concept. The inconsistency is the source of the discomfort, and the discomfort is the source of the resistance to the questioning.
The second reason is the social investment. The beliefs are, in most cases, shared with the social group. The questioning is the source of the social risk, and the risk is the source of the resistance.
Research on social identity theory by Tajfel and Turner has shown that the beliefs are often the source of the social identity. The questioning is the source of the identity threat, and the threat is the source of the resistance.
The third reason is the emotional investment. The beliefs are, in many cases, tied to the emotional experiences, the relationships, and the traumatic events. The questioning is the source of the emotional reopening, and the reopening is the source of the resistance.
Research on emotional reasoning by Aaron Beck and others has shown that the beliefs are often maintained by the emotional associations. The questioning is the source of the disruption of the associations, and the disruption is the source of the resistance.
The Cost of the Avoidance
The cost of the avoidance of the questioning is significant. The first cost is the cost to the accuracy. The beliefs that are not subjected to the disconfirming evidence are, in most cases, inaccurate. The inaccuracy is the source of the cost, and the cost is the foundation of the poor decision-making.
The second cost is the cost to the growth. The beliefs that are not questioned are, in most cases, not revised. The lack of revision is the source of the stagnation, and the stagnation is the foundation of the personal cost.
The third cost is the cost to the relationships. The person who is unable to question the own beliefs is, in most cases, unable to engage in the reciprocal, perspective-taking conversations that are the foundation of the intimacy. The inability is the source of the relational cost.
The fourth cost is the cost to the social cohesion. The collective avoidance of the questioning is the source of the polarization, the fragmentation, and the conflict that are the foundation of the social cost.
How to Cultivate the Intellectual Courage
1. Practice the "steel-man" of the opposing view. The steel-man is the strongest version of the opposing argument. The practice is the source of the engagement with the disconfirming evidence, and the engagement is the foundation of the courage.
2. Seek out the disconfirming information. The disconfirming information is the source of the testing of the beliefs, and the testing is the foundation of the accuracy. The seeking is the source of the engagement, and the engagement is the foundation of the growth.
3. Practice the "I could be wrong" ritual. The ritual is the source of the openness to the revision, and the openness is the foundation of the courage. The practice is the source of the humility, and the humility is the foundation of the growth.
4. Build a "belief update" journal. The journal is the source of the tracking of the changes in the beliefs, and the tracking is the foundation of the awareness of the growth. The awareness is the source of the motivation to continue, and the continuation is the foundation of the courage.
5. Cultivate the diverse network. The diverse network is the source of the diverse perspectives, and the diverse perspectives are the foundation of the testing of the beliefs. The cultivation is the source of the engagement, and the engagement is the foundation of the growth.
6. Tolerate the discomfort of the uncertainty. The uncertainty is uncomfortable. The tolerance is the source of the capacity to hold the beliefs with the openness to revision, and the openness is the foundation of the courage. The tolerance is the cost, and the cost is the foundation of the growth.
7. Celebrate the instances of being wrong. The celebration is the source of the reframe, and the reframe is the foundation of the courage. The being wrong is the source of the growth, and the growth is the foundation of the meaningful life.
The Cultural Function of the Intellectual Courage
The intellectual courage has a function that extends beyond the individual. The courage is the foundation of the democratic discourse, the scientific progress, and the social change. The courage is the source of the engagement with the difficult questions, and the engagement is the source of the collective growth.
Research on the role of the dissent in the scientific progress by Thomas Kuhn and others has shown that the most significant scientific advances have been the result of the dissent, the questioning, and the courage to challenge the established beliefs. The courage is the source of the progress, and the progress is the foundation of the meaningful life.
Research on the role of the dissent in the democratic discourse has shown that the most resilient democracies are the ones that have cultivated the culture of the questioning, the dissent, and the engagement with the difficult questions. The culture is the source of the resilience, and the resilience is the foundation of the meaningful life.
When the Questioning Is Not the Right Move
It is important to say clearly: not all questioning is the source of the growth. Some questioning is the source of the cynicism, the nihilism, and the paralysis. The honest self-inquiry is whether the questioning is the source of the growth, or whether the questioning is the source of the avoidance. The first is the source of the mature development, and the second is the source of the cost.
The Takeaway
Intellectual courage is one of the most important, and most under-developed, skills of mature adulthood. The courage is the source of the accuracy, the growth, the relationship quality, and the social cohesion. The courage is rare, and the rareness is the source of the cost. The courage can be developed, and the development is the foundation of the more accurate, more engaged, more meaningful life. The next time you find yourself holding a belief that is rarely questioned, pause long enough to ask: what would change my mind? The answer is the source of the engagement, and the engagement is the foundation of the growth. The growth is the foundation of the more meaningful, more accurate, more courageous life.
