Becoming Objective +

This post is about how to think more objectively. I also recommend some books that can help us sharpen our thinking. I hope you will buy them and enjoy them!

Some problems we will never solve. But the best chance for solving problems will come when we use rational and objective thinking. If we don't do this, we doom ourselves to almost certain failure. We should all work to improve our ability to think rationally and objectively.

One place where we often see irrational and subjective thinking is in political discussion and debate. This is one reason political arguments are endless and never persuade anyone. If one, or both, of the people arguing is not really THINKING then how can ANY argument be expected to persuade?

Politics effects our lives in such important ways it seems that good thinking would be a high priority here. Sadly, it seems that many people approach political discussions more concerned with defending their preconceived opinions than in thinking clearly, reaching logical conclusions, and solving problems.

There are many other areas in life where rational and objective thinking is vital. Engineering, Medicine, Military Command, Business Management, and many others all require professionals to set aside their opinions or desires and base their decisions on evidence: on verifiable facts and valid arguments.

Sometimes professionals fail to do this and bridges collapse, or patients die, or battles are lost, or companies go bankrupt because of it. In spite of these failures people in most of these areas seem to do a better job of upholding standards of rationality and objectivity than people involved in political debate do.

The article "How To Be Objective When You're Emotionally Invested" gives some useful tips for improving objectivity in a business environment. Maybe some of these tips could be applied to improving our objectivity in other areas.

The two tips I would add for improving rationality and objectivity are:

• Verify facts
• Analyze arguments

We should not waste much time in disputes about facts: we should simply verify them. If two or three independent sources confirm that a particular claim is factual then accept it and move on. If you still don't want to accept it, think very hard about WHY you don't want to accept it. What evidence do you have that these other sources don't? Realize that a very heavy burden of proof now rests on you to explain how these other sources are wrong about this fact while you are right.

If you refuse to accept facts that are confirmed and reconfirmed by independent sources then realize that most people are not going to take you seriously. And they shouldn't.

In the same way, if your opponent refuses to accept facts that are confirmed and reconfirmed by independent sources, and cannot explain how those sources are wrong, than you should simply stop arguing with that opponent. A person who refuses to accept facts cannot be reasoned with and you will find much better uses of your time elsewhere.

Similarly, we should not waste much time in disputes about arguments: we should simply analyze them. What is the conclusion? What are the premises? Do the premises actually lead to the conclusion? Is this is a commonly used argument form? If so, what is it's name? Is a fallacy committed? If so, what is it's name?

An intelligent discussion is NOT two people trading opinions or insults, it is two people carefully analyzing arguments to see which hold up to scrutiny and which do not. If your opponent doesn't know what a premise is, or what a fallacy is, stop arguing with that person and find a better use for your time.

So, is there actually an objective way to determine if someone is being objective? There is. If people are just hurling insults or stating opinions then they are NOT being objective. If people are verifying facts and analyzing arguments then they ARE being objective.

It is the second group of people we should all strive to emulate, even in political debates.

Copyright © 2016 by Joseph Wayne Gadway

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