Post 491 Intellectual Humility and Science Fiction

 

Intellectual Humility and Seed Stock by Frank Herbert

In the Frank Herbert story, Seed Stock, Earth scientists colonize a new planet with a harsh climate far in the future. The scientists brought with them plants and animals from Earth. The scientists intended to recreate a Earth farm on this planet which has Earth like atmosphere and Earth like plants and soil.  The majority of the colonists were scientists. Very little of the Earth flora, animals and plants that the Earth scientists brought with them survived. The scientists tried in vain to try to get their plants and animals to survive using agriculture techniques from Earth. None of the scientists thought to adjust their plants to the soil or habitat of the new planet. The scientists were rigid in their beliefs thinking the only kind of agricultural techniques that would work is what worked on Earth. Yet, the only person who succeeded in growing plants and saving the colony from starvation was the lowly laborer, Kroudar, whom the arrogant upper class scientists treated with disdain because he was uneducated, yet it was Kroudar and his ability to adapt by 'going native' that saved the colonists from starvation.

Unlike the scientists who in their arrogance clung to Earth like agricultural techniques, Kroudar and his wife, Hannida, adapted their planting and hunting techniques to the habitat of the new planet. Kroudar saved the colonists' lives by finding a native shrimp called trodi that he could fish from the local stream when the animals the scientists brought from Earth had died. It was Hannida, Kroudar's wife who gene spliced genes from the native plants of the planet into the genes of the Earth plants to successfully grow plants that the colonists could use to make wheat and other grains. In many ways, the Earth scientists resemble colonialism in that the European colonialists would try to recreate Europe whatever foreign country they colonized and look down on the native people of that country just like the European scientists looked down on Kroudar for being ugly and only a laborer. Being narrow-minded is the opposite of having intellectual humility.

Kroudar and his wife demonstrated Intellectual Humility--that is they were open-minded enough to accept the possibility that the agriculture techniques used on Earth are not the only way to successfully grow plants for the colony. By allowing themselves to learn new techniques, adapt to new conditions, be open-minded, be curious, and owning up to their mistakes and limitations, that's how Kroudar learned, adapted, survivee and succeeded in the unforgiving conditions of the new planets. However, The scientists were the opposite by being so rigid and narrow minded in thinking that only Earth like agricultural techniques would succeed, the scientists in their arrogance almost died of starvation if it weren't for Kroudar, his wife Hannida and his ability to have an open mind by using Intellectual Humility. Having intellectual humility involves being able to see a problem from multiple perspectives and multiple points of view.  Being humble allows one to have an open-mind to be open to multiple perspectives outside of one's comfort box. It is precisely when a learner gets out of his comfort zone, that he truly learns and grows as a person.

When a learner has an open mind, not be arrogant and closed off, not always thinking that his beliefs are the only ones that can exist, not believing that all other beliefs are wrong,, owning up to his limitations, that's how a learner demonstrates intellectual humility.  The best way to learn is to open up your mind to new experiences, new possibilities, accept multiple points of view and only when we stay curious do we truly learn and do we truly gain wisdom.