The Benefits of a Life of the Mind: 4. Learn Intellectual Humility

The next benefit that comes from pursuing a life of the mind is the learning of intellectual humility. The most arrogant people around are usually the ones who think that they know more than they actually know. Having some knowledge or a little learning can often lead to overconfidence and self-assurance. As Alexander Pope once wrote, "A little learning is a dangerous thing." One of the very best remedies for intellectual arrogance is to gain true understanding, to gain wisdom. Wisdom brings humility since it includes an understanding of the nature of reality, the order of things, and one's place in it all. To have wisdom is to know the limits of your own knowledge. It is to understand the boundaries of your own understanding. It is to be aware of your own ignorance. This sobering state makes possible the priceless perception of the relation one bears to the world, to others, and to God. As the life of Socrates so vividly illustrates, humility is the reward of true wisdom.