Construct Steel Arguments Not Straw Ones We need to learn to argue more effectively

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   September 4, 2022, 10:35. I am working on a post on so-called steelmanning for my blook. You may be familiar with the concept of a strawman argument, often referred to as a straw man. In such arguments, we are more concerned with winning the fight than getting at the truth, and we construct a … Continue reading Construct Steel Arguments Not Straw Ones We need to learn to argue more effectively

Lesswrong: Aiming to Be Less Wrong About the World Than the Day Before Improving human reasoning and decision-making

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   December 7, 2022, 15:30. LessWrong is an online forum and community dedicated to improving human reasoning and decision-making. We seek to hold true beliefs and to be effective at accomplishing our goals. Each day, we aim to be less wrong about the world than the day before. Credit: LessWrong Like me, you may find … Continue reading Lesswrong: Aiming to Be Less Wrong About the World Than the Day Before Improving human reasoning and decision-making

The Best Quotations Provoke Thought and Reflection They need not be true or the author necessarily respected

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   June 27, 2023, 13:47. Over 700 people receive my daily Conversational Leadership quote of the day, and nearly 3,000 subscribe to my old Gurteen.com quote of the day. Both services are free and I encourage you to register if you are interested. I frequently receive feedback from people who either dislike or disagree with … Continue reading The Best Quotations Provoke Thought and Reflection They need not be true or the author necessarily respected

Being Truthful Versus Telling the Truth David Gurteen

Being truthful means honestly expressing how we perceive or feel about something, though it may not be true. Telling the truth means accurately defining or describing the way things are. Credit: David Gurteen Source: Pollution of the Global Information EcosystemPosts where this quotation is embedded Avoid Anonymity Anonymity kills the conversation Belief Systems Our beliefs are not … Continue reading Being Truthful Versus Telling the Truth David Gurteen

The Two Pillars of Truth The scientific method and the Socratic elenchus

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   January 19, 2024, 12:14. This chapter,  The Two Pillars of Truth, from my blook, was inspired by a talk by Peter Boghossian on the Socratic method in the Western tradition. Given my interest in science and cosmology—I have a degree in physics—and my interest in dialogue and how we form our beliefs, it’s unsurprising … Continue reading The Two Pillars of Truth The scientific method and the Socratic elenchus

No Truth Is Without Some Mixture of Error by Wilbur Wright

No truth is without some mixture of error, and no error so false but that it possesses no element of truth. If a man is in too big a hurry to give up an error, he is liable to give up some truth with it, and in accepting the arguments of the other man he is sure to get some errors with it. Honest argument is merely a process of mutually picking … | Wilbur Wright Continue reading No Truth Is Without Some Mixture of Error by Wilbur Wright

Perils of Absolute Certainty Peter Boghossian

Few things are more dangerous than people who think they’re in possession of absolute truth. Credit: Peter Boghossian People: Peter BoghossianPeter Boghossian American philosopherPosts: Peter BoghossianImpossible Conversations Navigating conversations across ideological dividesBooks: Peter BoghossianHow to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay (2019)Impossible Conversations Peter Boghossian (2019)Impossible Conversations Navigating … Continue reading Perils of Absolute Certainty Peter Boghossian

Only a Community of Minds Can Show Us the Truth Timothy Wilken

We each view reality from our own unique perspective, only a community of minds can show us the truth. Credit: Timothy Wilken Posts where this quotation is embedded Avoid Anonymity Anonymity kills the conversation Belief Systems Our beliefs are not isolated pieces of data that we can take and discard at will Benjamin Franklin’s Junto Club Benjamin Franklin … Continue reading Only a Community of Minds Can Show Us the Truth Timothy Wilken

Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments for Critical Thinking Bertrand Russell

Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows: Do not feel absolutely certain of anything. Do not think it worthwhile to produce belief by concealing … | Bertrand Russell Continue reading Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments for Critical Thinking Bertrand Russell

There Is Beauty in Truth, Even If It’s Painful José Harris

There is beauty in truth, even if it’s painful. Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak. But lies only strengthen our defects. They don’t teach anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything. Nor do they develop one’s character, one’s mind, one’s heart or one’s soul. | José N. Harris Continue reading There Is Beauty in Truth, Even If It’s Painful José Harris

How Could We Be Wrong? Is a crucial question to ask in a conversation

The Socratic Elenchus The Two Pillars of Truth Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Conversational Leadership emphasizes the importance of intellectual humility and open-mindedness in discussions. Polarization and confirmation bias can stifle productive conversations on complex issues. … Continue reading How Could We Be Wrong? Is a crucial question to ask in a conversation

The Two Pillars of Truth How the scientific method and Socratic elenchus underpin civilization

How Could We Be Wrong? Conclusion: Two Pillars of Truth Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close The pursuit of truth is a fundamental human endeavor. However, arriving at the truth can be challenging, as our beliefs and … Continue reading The Two Pillars of Truth How the scientific method and Socratic elenchus underpin civilization

Knowledge and Information ** Knowledge and information are different substances

What Are Morals? The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Knowledge … Knowledge Our mind contains beliefs. We don’t know how these beliefs are stored, but it does not matter for my … Continue reading Knowledge and Information ** Knowledge and information are different substances

Construct Steel Positions Not Straw Ones We need to learn to argue more effectively to get at the truth

Eat with Others Ask Questions ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Construct steel positions: We often employ a straw position to help win a disagreement when we should use a steel one. Straw Positions You may … Continue reading Construct Steel Positions Not Straw Ones We need to learn to argue more effectively to get at the truth

Learn to Listen and to Tell the Truth Do we listen, to confirm what we already think or do we listen in order to reply?

The Mind Is a Fire to Be Kindled The Fourth Industrial Revolution Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Do we listen, to confirm what we already think or do we listen in order to reply? Or do … Continue reading Learn to Listen and to Tell the Truth Do we listen, to confirm what we already think or do we listen in order to reply?