Though having been emphasised by philosophers and theologians for centuries, it is only in the last few years that the concept of intellectual humility has been explicitly defined and studied by empirical psychology. However, it has been long enough to recognise the prominent role that being intellectually humble plays for humane functioning, both at an intra- and inter-individual level. Having started with a broader philosophical and historical context, the present paper discusses the psychological conceptualisations of intellectual humility. Then the recent empirical studies are reviewed, including four strands of research referring to personality traits, cognitive functioning, social relations and religiosity. After presenting selected results, the prospects of psychological research on intellectual humility are discussed, including the limitations and challenges of measurement techniques as well as possible directions for future studies.

Empirical science terminology generally understands humility as a self-view grounded trait characterized mainly by accurate self-awareness and manifested respect for others. Related studies have been carried out for almost 20 years; however, it is still a quite new area in psychological research. Moreover, this seems to be an interesting area because of rising egocentric and narcissistic tendencies that are inconsistent with humble attitudes. Handbook of Humility: Theory, Research, and Applications, reviewed here, offers an adequate basis for understanding humility. It presents main aspects of interdisciplinary approach to humility-related issues like definitions, measurement, and its manifestations in different contexts. Readers may find there many questions and thesis broadening their perspectives, which is a good starting point to carry out own research.