Doubt and intellectual humility

Fostering critical thinking and a deeper understanding of reality rests on two fundamental pillars that are often overlooked in a world that values certainty and speed: doubt and intellectual humility.

Activating doubt consciously and recognizing the limits of one's knowledge are essential to avoid manipulation and simplistic thinking.

Doubt as an Engine of Knowledge

Doubt, far from being a weakness, is the engine that drives critical thinking and genuine learning.

It involves a conscious effort to question the information received, one's own beliefs and seemingly established truths.

In an environment saturated with shocking, often biased or manipulated messages, the first reaction should be to activate doubt: What real evidence is there for what I am being told? Is this information questionable? Could there be other interpretations?

This process of questioning, although it requires effort, is what protects us from passively accepting unverified information.

Intellectual Humility. Acknowledging that We Don't Know

Intellectual humility is the honest recognition that we do not know everything and that our knowledge is inherently limited.

It involves being open to the possibility of being wrong and willing to learn from new perspectives, even those that contradict our most deeply held ideas.

Moving away from the comfort of dichotomous thinking (black or white) and purely emotional reasoning requires this humility.

Renouncing the need to always be right and the immediacy of superficial information allows us to approach issues with greater depth and objectivity.

Avoiding Useless Discussions and Inconsequential Topics

Part of the wisdom that comes from doubt and intellectual humility is the abil