The Performance of Intellectual Humility

Sor Juana frequently disclaimed her own learning, called herself unworthy, and presented her intellectual work as humble service rather than ambitious achievement. Yet beneath these performative disclaimers lay some of the most sophisticated intellectual work of her era. This duality reveals the psychological and social performance required of marginalized people who violate class expectations through intellectual excellence. Class consciousness includes understanding how marginalized individuals must manage others' expectations and anxieties about their advancement. The performance of humility becomes a survival strategy—it allows Sor Juana to continue her work while appearing non-threatening to ecclesiastical and social authorities who might otherwise suppress her. For people developing class consciousness, recognizing these performances illuminates the psychic labor involved in transcending class position. One must appear grateful, non-ambitious, and properly humble even while pursuing extraordinary intellectual goals. Understanding this as performance rather than reality is crucial for recognizing both the constraints of class position and one's own agency within limited options.