Study: Right-Wing Authoritarianism Accounts For Correlation Between Religion And Lack Of Intellectual Humility

It seems that a lack of intellectual humility may go with right wing authoritarianism.  In the same way a lack of intellect seems to go with prejudice, it also goes with blind support of religion.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking defines people with intellectual humility as people who have a consciousness of the limits of one’s knowledge, and a sensitivity to all those around them.  To be intellectually humble also means that people recognise that they might not be right and they are open to listening to others and open to debate. Those without intellectual humility often believe blindly and don’t listen to people who may have different thoughts.

The one thing we know about life is that listening is the most important thing.  If somebody has different views to you, listen to their views and then put your own view forward.  People with a certain intellect, including a humble intellect, are good listeners and good debaters.  They don’t follow blindly and they are able to think for themselves.  They also allow other people to think differently to the way they do, so that they are not authoritarian and / or fanatic in their views.

Krumrei-Mancuso wrote a study titled “Intellectual Humility’s Links to Religion and Spirituality and the Role of Authoritarianism.”  Religion is fine they say, as long as it is not forced upon anyone, and as long as nobody is bullied for not following the same religion.  As soon as religion is forced on people, it becomes authoritarian and dangerous.  When religion becomes fanatic, it is dangerous to the point of right wing propaganda.

It is important to look at the people you know who do have intellectual humility and see how they feel about religion.  Chances are they are open to anything and don’t tell anyone what they should or should not believe.