Science makes me feel stupid . . . . It's just that
I've gotten used to it. So used to it, in fact, that
I actively seek out new opportunities to feel
stupid. I wouldn't know what to do without that
feeling. I even think it's supposed to be this way.
In my Civilizations course this semester I know these opportunities will present themselves often. Everyone feels stupid sometimes, however this is no reason to quit and is not an excuse to find an easier route. Recognize that feeling stupid does not indicate real stupidity: it is a necessary part of discovery. The only kind of bad stupidity is recurring stupidity. The other, useful, kind of stupidity becomes a strength as we actively embrace it on our individual paths of discovery.
A professor I had once said that his education simply improved the quality of his ignorance. Intellectual humility is something very powerful. I'm glad you stumbled on this and reported on it. It will be relevant to discussion of Descartes in the Enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brian! Your post helps me feel better about my blinding ignorance! It will be interesting to go read the paper you mentioned!
ReplyDeleteIt's a very short paper as well. I posted the link for it so you can check it out.
ReplyDeleteSo I was reading in the summer edition of BYU magazine, and came across a very similar, yet gospel-based, article. In "Learning in the Light of Faith", Ross Spencer notes that a key ingredient for real learning is humility, often accompanied by those lovely feelings of stupidity. Here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2626