Awareness of Bias
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:22 am
I was considering this book in it's entirety, and thinking of ways in which I'd summarize it in an explanation to Thomas Hood. Riniolo mentions a few times as his thesis that we're all capable, but can be quite inconsistent at critical thinking.
My problem in creating a summary is in explaining what exactly critical thinking is. Many of the biases which affect our thinking are explained in detail, and the author points out a few times the difficulty in always being aware of these biases.
No one can be completely without bias of course, but I've done mental experiments in the past to alert me of their presence. Your emotions are pivotal in being aware of bias. For example, if you become angry about something, such as seatbelt laws which are in place due to insurance company lobbyists, that anger should be a red flag that you're emotionally biased on the issue. Also, a feeling of comfort or pride in a belief can indicate that your thinking will remain focused on lines of reasoning which support that belief, thus keeping the 'good' feeling of pride or comfort going. The critical thinker would then be obligated to take a deep breath and consider the contradictory evidence in detail.
My problem in creating a summary is in explaining what exactly critical thinking is. Many of the biases which affect our thinking are explained in detail, and the author points out a few times the difficulty in always being aware of these biases.
No one can be completely without bias of course, but I've done mental experiments in the past to alert me of their presence. Your emotions are pivotal in being aware of bias. For example, if you become angry about something, such as seatbelt laws which are in place due to insurance company lobbyists, that anger should be a red flag that you're emotionally biased on the issue. Also, a feeling of comfort or pride in a belief can indicate that your thinking will remain focused on lines of reasoning which support that belief, thus keeping the 'good' feeling of pride or comfort going. The critical thinker would then be obligated to take a deep breath and consider the contradictory evidence in detail.