Many of the intellectual virtues such as humility, courage, and empathy influence one’s intellectual development and positively impact critical thinking (Germaine, Richards, Koeller, & Schubert-Irastorza, 2016). The mentioned open-mindedness allows people to gain access to knowledge that may be hidden from others. I think that this intellectual virtue can bring many positive outcomes to the person who possesses it. Similarly, the lack of such attributes can limit people’s critical thinking and cultural literacy. For instance, I believe that I have the virtue of curiosity which allows me to be more active in the pursuit of truth and discoveries. Thus, this virtue gives me the energy needed to study more actively without being discouraged. It may also be supported by perseverance, another intellectual virtue. These two characteristics can go hand-in-hand, endowing a person with an endless passion for learning.
Another interesting virtue that may be hard to understand is intellectual humility. According to Samuelson et al. (2015), this particular virtue is a complicated aspect of the personality. While I do not think that I possess this virtue myself, I believe that it is an interesting concept. Its opposition is the vice of pride that reaches abnormal levels. In my opinion, this vice can affect people’s ability to become more advanced in their intellectual skills. For example, while my curiosity allows me to be more open to new information, it also makes me see that I do not know many things. On the other hand, the vice of pride may blindside some people and stop them from making new personal discoveries. Thus, the opposition of these two traits can also be established. It is also possible that my vices are wishful thinking and a lack of self-awareness.
References
Germaine, R., Richards, J., Koeller, M., & Schubert-Irastorza, C. (2016). Purposeful use of 21st-century skills in higher education. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching, 9(1), 19-27.
Samuelson, P. L., Jarvinen, M. J., Paulus, T. B., Church, I. M., Hardy, S. A., & Barrett, J. L. (2015). Implicit theories of intellectual virtues and vices: A focus on intellectual humility. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(5), 389-406.