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I'll say this gets causality backwards. Intellectual humility is a luxury of the obviously skilled. In a room of smart people where everyone is competing for in

I'll say this gets causality backwards. Intellectual humility is a luxury of the obviously skilled. In a room of smart people where everyone is competing for influence and attention, admitting your lack of knowledge can be a real handicap. When I was younger rather than admit anything I just kept my mouth shut. Now when I am in a room, no one questions I know what I am talking about, and I can usually establish my expertise with a few choice observations. This gives me a lot of lattitude to ask questions and admit what I (or what we all) don't know, because I have the social standing to get away with it. I'm not sure this is necessarily a mark of my humility.

kjsbfkjbf 7y ago
You're also getting at why it's difficult for those underrepresented in industry to make headway or gain knowledge. It's not as easy as "we have a diverse team". :)
- barberousse 7y ago
  Which brings us to an even more important facet of humility, being aware enough to know you're uncomfortable with certain people _because you're unfamiliar_. Most people are not nearly as cosmopolitan as they imagine themselves to be.
AnimalMuppet 7y ago
Yes and no. Yes, being known as one of the ones who knows gives you freedom to say "I don't know" without being judged. In the past few years, I've started feeling that freedom. (Maybe others wouldn't have judged me before. Maybe the issue is that now I don't judge myself for not knowing.) But no, being the one who doesn't know in a room full of those who do shouldn't stop you from learning. There are two different cases here, though. If you're in a sane (not too political, and not too toxic) environment, just ask when you don't know something. (Don't do it so often that you hijack the meeting, but do it once or twice a meeting.) You will often be speaking for others as well who don't know but are unwilling to admit their ignorance (unless you're the only junior person). Your asking can free them to also ask and also learn. If you are in a toxic or political environment, you still need to learn, without getting destroyed. That's harder. You need to try to find out who it's safe to ask. But the bigger task in that environment, in my opinion, is to not learn to be political or toxic yourself.
jccalhoun 7y ago
I think that is a good point. However, when I skimmed the article my thoughts were of the opposite people: the people who brag about their skills but then end up having very few skills in that area.

kjsbfkjbf 7y ago

You're also getting at why it's difficult for those underrepresented in industry to make headway or gain knowledge. It's not as easy as "we have a diverse team". :)

barberousse 7y ago
Which brings us to an even more important facet of humility, being aware enough to know you're uncomfortable with certain people _because you're unfamiliar_. Most people are not nearly as cosmopolitan as they imagine themselves to be.

AnimalMuppet 7y ago

Yes and no. Yes, being known as one of the ones who knows gives you freedom to say "I don't know" without being judged. In the past few years, I've started feeling that freedom. (Maybe others wouldn't have judged me before. Maybe the issue is that now I don't judge myself for not knowing.) But no, being the one who doesn't know in a room full of those who do shouldn't stop you from learning. There are two different cases here, though. If you're in a sane (not too political, and not too toxic) environment, just ask when you don't know something. (Don't do it so often that you hijack the meeting, but do it once or twice a meeting.) You will often be speaking for others as well who don't know but are unwilling to admit their ignorance (unless you're the only junior person). Your asking can free them to also ask and also learn. If you are in a toxic or political environment, you still need to learn, without getting destroyed. That's harder. You need to try to find out who it's safe to ask. But the bigger task in that environment, in my opinion, is to not learn to be political or toxic yourself.

jccalhoun 7y ago

I think that is a good point. However, when I skimmed the article my thoughts were of the opposite people: the people who brag about their skills but then end up having very few skills in that area.