If education involves curiosity
all inquiry is necessary.
Find out why answering ONE QUESTION makes all the difference (full text below).
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Picture Credit: Josh Collingwood, Snappy Goat
FULL TEXT
In last week’s Truth in Two I suggested that I could summarize the two major takeaways from PhD study that apply to everyday life. Last week I identified the first major PhD lesson as this: As soon as you’ve asked a question, you’ve biased your research. What you care about will impact how you study about that thing. Every PhD researcher and frankly every person alive has to learn not to let your care of a subject bias or slant your viewpoints. The second major takeaway from PhD study that applies to everyone, in all of life, comes in the form of a question. When seeking information, ask, “What am I *not* hearing?” If all the news you ever hear, for instance, comes from one political point of view, you must ask, who disagrees and why?
In a recent class a student wanted to write about climate change. She observed, however, that she could not find any research from anyone who disagreed with the popular views on climate change. She asked me why. I walked to the white board and wrote two words:
“misinformation” and “disinformation.”
I began my explanation this way. “If those who control information do not allow other evidence to be presented with these two labels, your job is to ask, “What am I *not* hearing?”
When seeking information, pursue these five steps.
(1) Begin by asking questions.
(2) Compare and contrast the answers.
(3) See if there is room for common ground.
(4) Offer alternative solutions.
(5) Moderate your voice with words like “might,” “may,” or “perhaps.”
PhD study is rigorous. But the two major takeaways for me are simple. Remember what you care about will bias your thinking and always ask, “What am I *not* hearing? For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, President of the Comenius Institute, personally seeking truth wherever it’s found.
Whenever I communicate I am controlling the content of what I am communicating. Are you saying that I should intentionally label some of my content as “misinformation “ or “disinformation?”
Hi Darrell. Along with those two words comes the eradication of the knowledge. Science is supposed to be exploratory, experimental, within a peer-review process. But mis / dis information in our days means elimination of other viewpoints. Everyone controls their own information. The difference in the case of recent information-elimination is that control has turned into a lack of respect for the scientific process. If scientists challenge based on their research, their research should be heard. Thanks for interacting with me here!
These questions work as a therapist, too. They are tools to help people learn to challenge their cognitive distortions (stinking thinking patterns).
Appreciate the good word Linda!