an article i read recently (via ghetto of our mind) has been on my mind for a couple of days. the article is, “The importance of stupidity in scientific research“, by Martin Schwartz. i am reminded of the beginning of the movie “Jerry Maguire”, where Jerry writes a mission statement titled, “The Things We Think And Do Not Say” (if you haven’t seen the movie, you can watch the opening scene on youtube. it rocks.)
the article begins…
I recently saw an old friend for the first time in many years. We had been Ph.D. students at the same time, both studying science, although in different areas. She later dropped out of graduate school, went to Harvard Law School and is now a senior lawyer for a major environmental organization. At some point, the conversation turned to why she had left graduate school. To my utter astonishment, she said it was because it made her feel stupid. After a couple of years of feeling stupid every day, she was ready to do something else. (emphasis added)
i know exactly how she felt, and i doubt it is the same kind of “feeling stupid” the author of the article later describes…
What makes it difficult is that research is immersion in the unknown. We just don’t know what we’re doing. We can’t be sure whether we’re asking the right question or doing the right experiment until we get the answer or the result. (emphasis added)
i’m just not convinced that these two examples of “feeling stupid” reflect the same kind of experience.
while i appreciate the supportive and simultaneously challenging message the article conveys—that uncomfortable ambiguity is a necessary and unavoidable part of trying to figure out answers to questions that have never been asked before—i believe that conflating these different kinds of “feeling stupid” might actually make it harder, not easier, to talk about how stupid one feels at times.
the author provides a couple examples of other kinds of “feeling stupid”…
I’m not talking about ‘relative stupidity’, in which the other students in the class actually read the material, think about it and ace the exam, whereas you don’t. I’m also not talking about bright people who might be working in areas that don’t match their talents.
in other words, someone who is lazy and irresponsible might (rightfully?) feel stupid, as might someone out of their depth in the wrong field.
but “feeling stupid” could just as easily stem from inexperience, or challenging the status quo, or being different or marginalized in some way. in grad school, there are many different opportunities to feel stupid, and students (and their advisors) usually aren’t comfortable talking about any of them. i think it is important to talk about it, despite the discomfort and personal risk, so we can all learn from each other and not feel so insecure and isolated.
and, for the record, i wouldn’t equate “immersion in the unknown” with “feeling stupid”. ‘stupidity’ has some very negative connotations, and is usually used to describe the qualities of a person, not a situation. but, that’s just me.
