When We Find Someone Else’s Viewpoint Irrational
Let’s talk about how to think critically when we find someone else’s viewpoint irrational.
Naturally how we define terms, the way we understand the difference between community values and individual rights is going to shape how we evaluate anyone’s opinion or perspective. I’m not saying that we can’t call out what we see as fundamentally immoral.
But persuasion out of a view that feels comfortable and natural to another person doesn’t come from one of us simply telling that person they are wrong.
Critical thinking is…
To me, critical thinking is not so much about getting it right and then trying to convince others. That’s a conversion mindset that rarely works. Instead, Critical Thinking is about understanding the logic that any individual or community applies to their viewpoint, even when we think that person or group is being illogical.
Every person thinks their viewpoint makes justifiable sense. Every. Single. One. Our job as thinkers is to discover that logic—to understand better and to allow that understanding to be a part of our solution-making.
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