When opinions are the premise rather than the result of a thinking process, something has gone pretty wrong …
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Transcript
I think therefore I am right.
Speaker:That's, in essence, the sentiment that we see in many public discussions where
Speaker:opinions feel more like the premise rather than the result of a thinking process.
Speaker:“I am right” is a sentiment that you often find in people who believe that
Speaker:being wrong is a sign of weakness.
Speaker:You also find it in people who fear the consequences of not being right.
Speaker:And maybe even fear change in general.
Speaker:And so, they try to prevent this by insisting that they are right and that the
Speaker:way that they are doing things is right.
Speaker:In the most extreme cases, it's almost as if these people feel entitled to
Speaker:owning the truth, almost as if the truth would have to bend according to their
Speaker:opinion rather than the other way around.
Speaker:“I think therefore I am right”, is a huge stretch from Decartes’
Speaker:famous original insight, which was: “I think, therefore I am.”
Speaker:Ironically, that statement was based on the inside that there's actually really
Speaker:not much that he could be certain about.
Speaker:It's the exact opposite of insisting to be right.
Speaker:In fact, it's precisely the doubt that opens up new ways and shows
Speaker:us new solutions to old problems.
Speaker:That's why I believe that a better stance would be to say: “I think, therefore I