ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Intellectual rigor

Imagine that your brain is like a muscle that needs exercise. Just like when you exercise your body, you need to work hard and challenge yourself to get stronger, and the same goes for your brain. Intellectual rigor means taking your brain to the gym and giving it a really good workout.

To have intellectual rigor, you need to use your brain in a way that is challenging and demanding. This might mean asking hard questions, digging deep into a subject, or trying to understand things that are difficult to grasp. When you have intellectual rigor, you are always striving to learn more and to understand things better.

Another important part of intellectual rigor is being honest with yourself. This means being willing to admit when you don't know something or when you've made a mistake. When you make a mistake, you should try to learn from it and use what you've learned to do better next time.

Finally, intellectual rigor also means being open-minded. This means being willing to consider new ideas and perspectives, even if they don't fit with your current beliefs or opinions. By being open-minded, you can learn from others and broaden your understanding of the world.

Overall, intellectual rigor is about challenging yourself, being honest, and being open-minded. It's like going to the gym for your brain!