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I want to break down three dimensions of intellectual humility. For each one, I offer suggestions for raising awareness of your cognitive fallibility. The first piece of intellectual humility is independence of intellect and ego. This refers to our ability to separate our beliefs and opinions from our sense of worthiness. We accept and evaluate ideas and information objectively, without letting personal emotions cloud our judgment. This one is…

Aristotle said it is the mark of an educated mind to entertain an idea without accepting it. This is the habit of what psychologists call intellectual humility. It’s the awareness of our own cognitive shortcomings. Recent research has shown this trait is correlated with improved wellbeing, stronger relationships, lower stress and greater resilience. Here’s a quote a from a study in a positive psychology journal that resonated with me….

That which is no longer directly perceived, ceases to exist. Not literally, of course. But the way the human brain works is, it quickly forgets things that are no longer visible or present. If we can’t see it, it’s not there. Psychologists would call this a lack of object permanence. And the principle primarily applies to infants playing peekaboo, although interesting to consider its adult implications. Because oftentimes, a…

What’s the fastest way to shut someone up? Call them a fascist. Works every time. The universe conversation ender. This pejorative epithet has been used against a range of people, political movements, governments, and institutions for over one hundred years now. And it’s fair game for all. People on both the left and the right have accused their opponents of being fascists at once point or another. Orwell himself…

It hasn’t hit me yet. The experience is still settling in. I haven’t comprehended or emotionally processed a significant event, situation, or piece of information. I’m sure it’ll hit me eventually. It’s only a matter of time before I wrap my brain around this thing. But for now, it just doesn’t feel real. Seems like a dream. Now, maybe it’s denial. Or fear of acceptance. Or a delayed response…

Stay away from the extremes. Avoid having only one center of gravity, but also make sure you don’t have too many. In the case of the former, it’s unwise it is to turn a single entity into the center of gravity of your universe. Dependency on a single source for your identity can be risky when that aspect of life inevitably changes or diminishes. Think of it this way….

In the world of psychics, the center of gravity is an imaginary point in a body of matter where the total weight of the body is concentrated. It’s where the distribution of weight is equal in all directions. Our football coach used to talk about keeping our center of gravity low during plays, bending our knees and keeping our head and chest over the ball. This form helped us…

Prohibition didn’t arise because of some puritanical moralist disdain for alcohol use. The temperance movement was a plight against domestic violence. It started to protect women’s safety, because drunk men were more likely to beat and sexually harass their wives. Even one hundred years later, today the consumption of alcohol has been linked to increased violence against women. It’s so simple. Men who drink are more likely to hurt…

Feeling like you’re ahead of the game is a uniquely satisfying feeling. When you realize that you’re in a position of advantage, or you have a head start compared to most people a particular situation, it fills you with relief, pride and confidence. Do you feel grounded with your level of knowledge, skills and preparation for future challenges? Like all the past invisible labor has positioned you for a…

I hired a trumpet player to record horn tracks for the score of my gothic western movie. Our process for collaborating on the album centered around following the funny. First, I sent him the audio file of the song, along with lyrical context and creative direction. Next, he would record a collection of possible trumpet voices for each part of the song. Finally, I would listen to this mixes…