The Poverty of False Certainty

Sor Juana's interrogation of authority and her refusal to accept simplistic answers modeled intellectual humility and epistemological openness. This concept suggests that true poverty lies in rigidity of thought—the inability or unwillingness to question, learn, and grow. Those experiencing material poverty often possess clearer sight into human complexity because necessity forces them to navigate nuance and contradiction. Sor Juana's tradition values the kind of poverty that comes with acknowledging how much one does not know. For individuals struggling with identity amid economic hardship, this framework reframes intellectual and spiritual flexibility as wealth. The concept challenges the assumption that certainty and dogma represent strength; instead, it positions questioning, doubt, and genuine inquiry as marks of a rich and active mind.