Comment by beryilma
> ... if we don’t feel stupid it means we’re not really trying.
> Science involves confronting our 'absolute stupidity'.
I understand where the author is coming from, but these are just useless statements. Stupidity and knowing that you don't know stuff are not the same thing. The former involves an inability to understand or learn, whereas the latter involves an acknowledgment of our current state of ignorance and that we can do better.
I don't believe one can be successful in science by constantly feeling stupid and getting used to it. You have to be comfortable with not knowing stuff, but with the drive and self-confidence that you can discover new things and expand your knowledge, which is of course not easy either.
But when people quit STEM degrees, they don't say "it made me feel ignorant" or "I didn't have enough knowledge". They say "I was too stupid". The author is expressly trying to address those people, and the people who might be able to intervene in their lives. "Yes! We're all stupid! That's part of what it means to learn and research math and science!"