As I have observed events and working life over the last few months one thing has struck me as a constant quality required of professionals, whatever their discipline or indeed walk of life. The need for intellectual rigour in our work. Sir David Attenborough commenting on the life of Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh said one of his great qualities was intellectual rigour. You can debate whether being a consort to a queen is a professional activity, but to be a success at it as he clearly was demands I suggest similar characteristics.
Intellectual rigour or integrity can be defined as the discipline of striving to be thorough and honest to learn the truth or to reach the best decision possible in a given situation. A person with intellectual integrity has a driving desire to follow reasons and evidence courageously wherever they may lead.
I have sat in senior review meetings and watched the presenters stumped by a relatively simple but discerning question which suggested they had just not thought through and analysed their proposal. I have by contract observed managers get to the truth of a complex issue through persistent and perceptive questioning. I have also seen law professors and partners present incredibly complex legal case reviews in a way everybody with some knowledge of the subject could understand – because they had fully grasped and could therefore explain their subject matter.
One common theme is an ability to keep quizzing yourself and your team until you get it right. I include myself in this analysis as I look back on things I fully grasped and helped to move on and others I could have done more to understand deeply and resolve better. Self-improvement and a willingness to learn are I suggest all essential components of intellectual honesty and rigour.
See this Professional Practice Note from the State of Victoria Education and Training in Australia Intellectual Rigour Challenges all Students which comments
Intellectual rigour is defined as clarity in thinking and an ability to think carefully and deeply when faced with new content or concepts. This involves engaging constructively and methodically when exploring ideas, theories and philosophies. It also relates to analysing and constructing knowledge with depth, insight and intellectual maturity.
Adopting or even understanding the need for such intellectual discipline is even harder in a world where bountiful knowledge is merely a click away. The same article observes
Students live in an information age in which technology enables information to be at their fingertips. Educational consultant Alan November talks about student belief that “if it is on the Internet, it is true”. Intellectual rigour in sourcing, evaluating and using information is critical for students.
In the legal profession a trainee may think they have the answer to a question because they have Googled it and read a few law firm reviews. These will no doubt be relevant and instructive, but has the trainee also looked at the underlying statute or delegated legislation or actually read the judgment in a relevant case, not just the commentary?
Here is an amusing anecdote I found on the subject of intellectual rigour.
A mathematician, a physicist, and an engineer are riding a train through Scotland.
The engineer looks out the window, sees a black sheep, and exclaims, “Hey! The sheep in Scotland are black!”
The physicist looks out the window and corrects the engineer, “Strictly speaking, all we know is that there’s at least one black sheep in Scotland.”
The mathematician looks out the window and corrects the physicist, ” Strictly speaking, all we know is that is that at least one side of one sheep is black in Scotland.”
Achieving intellectual rigour is also about having an open mind, adopting a growth mindset as the academic and author Carol Dweck advocates - see this blog with a summary of her approach. See also this article Growth Mindsets: 5 Strategies for Creating a Culture of Rigor which observes in an academic context
First, we are aiming to make challenge the norm. All lessons should be rigorous and students should come to expect this. Second, we are trying to change students’ perceptions of challenge. Challenge and rigor should be embraced rather than feared. Lastly, we want to show students how they can succeed in the face of challenge. The ultimate goal is to have students be drivers of their own learning.
and goes on to propose some techniques for achieving this
Intriguingly this Forbes article proposes that one of the most useful majors college students can choose is philosophy because of its potential for return on investment in the business world.
The surprisingly robust ROI for philosophy majors can be traced to its intellectual rigor. Philosophers are taught to seek out the pressure points in arguments and to reason for themselves. They dive into highly technical conversations, construct their own positions and arguments, and analyze relevant problems from multiple perspectives.
Intellectual rigour or integrity is or at least should be a pillar of professional practice. We can and should I suggest be constantly challenging our views and perspective to continuously improve.
As Albert Einstein shrewdly observed
Strenuous intellectual work and the study of God's Nature are the angels that will lead me through all the troubles of this life with consolation, strength, and uncompromising rigour.
Intellectual rigour or integrity can be defined as the discipline of striving to be thorough and honest to learn the truth or to reach the best decision possible in a given situation. A person with intellectual integrity has a driving desire to follow reasons and evidence courageously wherever they may lead.
I have sat in senior review meetings and watched the presenters stumped by a relatively simple but discerning question which suggested they had just not thought through and analysed their proposal. I have by contract observed managers get to the truth of a complex issue through persistent and perceptive questioning. I have also seen law professors and partners present incredibly complex legal case reviews in a way everybody with some knowledge of the subject could understand – because they had fully grasped and could therefore explain their subject matter.
One common theme is an ability to keep quizzing yourself and your team until you get it right. I include myself in this analysis as I look back on things I fully grasped and helped to move on and others I could have done more to understand deeply and resolve better. Self-improvement and a willingness to learn are I suggest all essential components of intellectual honesty and rigour.
See this Professional Practice Note from the State of Victoria Education and Training in Australia Intellectual Rigour Challenges all Students which comments
Intellectual rigour is defined as clarity in thinking and an ability to think carefully and deeply when faced with new content or concepts. This involves engaging constructively and methodically when exploring ideas, theories and philosophies. It also relates to analysing and constructing knowledge with depth, insight and intellectual maturity.
Adopting or even understanding the need for such intellectual discipline is even harder in a world where bountiful knowledge is merely a click away. The same article observes
Students live in an information age in which technology enables information to be at their fingertips. Educational consultant Alan November talks about student belief that “if it is on the Internet, it is true”. Intellectual rigour in sourcing, evaluating and using information is critical for students.
In the legal profession a trainee may think they have the answer to a question because they have Googled it and read a few law firm reviews. These will no doubt be relevant and instructive, but has the trainee also looked at the underlying statute or delegated legislation or actually read the judgment in a relevant case, not just the commentary?
Here is an amusing anecdote I found on the subject of intellectual rigour.
A mathematician, a physicist, and an engineer are riding a train through Scotland.
The engineer looks out the window, sees a black sheep, and exclaims, “Hey! The sheep in Scotland are black!”
The physicist looks out the window and corrects the engineer, “Strictly speaking, all we know is that there’s at least one black sheep in Scotland.”
The mathematician looks out the window and corrects the physicist, ” Strictly speaking, all we know is that is that at least one side of one sheep is black in Scotland.”
Achieving intellectual rigour is also about having an open mind, adopting a growth mindset as the academic and author Carol Dweck advocates - see this blog with a summary of her approach. See also this article Growth Mindsets: 5 Strategies for Creating a Culture of Rigor which observes in an academic context
First, we are aiming to make challenge the norm. All lessons should be rigorous and students should come to expect this. Second, we are trying to change students’ perceptions of challenge. Challenge and rigor should be embraced rather than feared. Lastly, we want to show students how they can succeed in the face of challenge. The ultimate goal is to have students be drivers of their own learning.
and goes on to propose some techniques for achieving this
Intriguingly this Forbes article proposes that one of the most useful majors college students can choose is philosophy because of its potential for return on investment in the business world.
The surprisingly robust ROI for philosophy majors can be traced to its intellectual rigor. Philosophers are taught to seek out the pressure points in arguments and to reason for themselves. They dive into highly technical conversations, construct their own positions and arguments, and analyze relevant problems from multiple perspectives.
Intellectual rigour or integrity is or at least should be a pillar of professional practice. We can and should I suggest be constantly challenging our views and perspective to continuously improve.
As Albert Einstein shrewdly observed
Strenuous intellectual work and the study of God's Nature are the angels that will lead me through all the troubles of this life with consolation, strength, and uncompromising rigour.
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