Science Day: The Courage to Say “I Might Be Wrong”

Today, 10 November, is World Science Day for Peace and Development. It grew out of an idea from the World Conference on Science in Budapest in 1999; UNESCO recognised it in 2001 and it has been celebrated since 2002. Among its aims is bringing science closer to people, so that everyone can understand what is being discovered and what it is for.

What is more scientific than an “I might be wrong”? In psychology it is called intellectual humility: recognising the limits of one’s own knowledge and appreciating the strengths of others. In 2018 Tenelle Porter and Karina Schumann, in the journal Self and Identity, presented four studies on how intellectual humility affects political disagreements. In the first two, people higher in it were more open to learning about the other side’s positions in imagined disagreements. In the third, people higher in it exposed themselves to a larger share of opposing political perspectives. In the fourth, making the idea that intelligence can grow (a “growth mindset”) more salient increased intellectual humility and, as a result, openness to opposing views.

A few cautions. The research is about political disagreements, and associations do not prove cause or tell us what works in every conversation. I read only the abstract, so I do not report the number of participants. The link with Science Day is ours.

What can we do with it? These are our own common-sense ideas, not findings of the study. Before answering someone who sees things differently, try asking yourself: “What would change my mind?”. When you do not know something, say “I do not know yet, I will find out”: it is a scientist’s sentence, not a weakness. And once a week, read a point of view different from yours with real attention.

And you, when was the last time you changed your mind after listening to someone? Tell us in the comments: I am curious to read your stories.

Sources

• Porter, T., Schumann, K. (2018), “Intellectual humility and openness to the opposing view”, Self and Identity 17(2), 139-162. DOI 10.1080/15298868.2017.1361861
• “Giornata Mondiale della Scienza per la Pace e lo Sviluppo” (World Science Day for Peace and Development), ISPRA (accessed 6 November 2026)