A famous bon mot asserts that opinions are like assholes in that everyone has one. There is great wisdom in this, but I would add that opinions differ significantly from assholes in that yours should be constantly and thoroughly examined. We must think critically and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs. Take them out into the field and smack them around a bit. Be intellectually rigorous. Identify your biases, your prejudices, your privileges. Most societal arguments are kept alive by a failure to acknowledge nuance. We tend to generate false dichotomies and then try to argue one point using two entirely different set of assumptions. Like two tennis players trying to win a match by hitting beautifully executed shots from either end of separate tennis courts.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 19:47:54 +0000
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