epistemic humility
Admitting knowledge gaps
Epistemic humility is recognition of the limits of one's own knowledge.
It involves acknowledging that your beliefs might be wrong, your information incomplete, or your reasoning flawed.
The concept appears in philosophy, science, and everyday discourse about how to hold opinions responsibly: Epistemic humility requires us to remain open to evidence that contradicts what we think we know.
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- room for doubtGrounds for skepticism
- doubtLack of firm belief
- open-mindednessAcceptance of differing viewpoints
- open mindAbsence of prejudgment
beginner's mind · fallibility · questioning · nuance · skepticism · curiosity · unknowing · agnosticism · not knowing · blind spots · limitations · listening · revision · tentativeness · wonder · caution · deference · intellectual courage
- cognitive controlexecutive function, inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, attention control
- metacognitionmetacognition, self-awareness, introspection, knowing what you know, self-assessment
epistemic humilitydogmatism
Unyielding adherence to doctrine
overconfidence · certitude · cocksureness · presumption · smugness
epistemic humilityarrogance
Excessive self-importance
closed-mindedness · pomposity · condescension · pedantry · self-righteousness
epistemic humilitydogmatism
Unyielding adherence to doctrine
fanaticism · fundamentalism · obstinacy · willful ignorance · confirmation bias
epistemic, epistemology, epistemological, humility, humble, humbly, humbler, humblest