2021年英语四级听力美文第78篇:How to Avoid Foolish Opinions思维导图

Toavoidthevariousfoolishopinionstowhichmankindisprone,nosuperhumangeniusisrequired.

Afewsimpleruleswillkeepyou,notfromallerror,butfromsillyerror.

Ifthematterisonethatcanbesettledbyobservation,maketheobservationyourself.

Aristotlecouldhaveavoidedthemistakeofthinkingthatwomenhavefewerteeththanmen,bythesimpledeviceofaskingMrs.Aristotletokeephermouthopenwhilehecounted.

Hedidnotdosobecausehethoughtheknew.

Thinkingthatyouknowwheninfactyoudon’tisafatalmistake,towhichweareallprone.

Manymatters,however,arelesseasilybroughttothetestofexperience.

If,likemostofmankind,youhaveconvictionsonmanysuchmatters,therearewaysinwhichyoucanmakeyourselfawareofyourownbias.

Ifanopinioncontrarytoyourownmakesyouangry,thatisasignthatyouaresubconsciouslyawareofhavingnogoodreasonforthinkingasyoudo.

Ifsomeonemaintainsthattwoandtwoarefive,youfeelpityratherthananger.

Themostsavagecontroversiesarethoseaboutmattersastowhichthereisnogoodevidenceeitherway.

Persecutionisusedintheology,notinarithmetic,becauseinarithmeticthereisknowledge,butintheologythereisonlyopinion.

Sowheneveryoufindyourselfgettingangryaboutadifferenceofopinion,beonyourguard;youwillprobablyfind,onexamination,thatyourbeliefisgoingbeyondwhattheevidencewarrants.

Agoodwayofridingyourselfofcertainkindsofdogmatismistobecomeawareofopinionsheldinsocialcirclesdifferentfromyourown.

Seekoutpeoplewithwhomyoudisagree,andreadanewspaperbelongingtoapartythatisnotyours.

Ifthepeopleandthenewspaperseemmadandwicked,remindyourselfthatyouseemsotothem.

Inthisopinionbothpartiesmayberight,buttheycannotbothbewrong.

Thisreflectionshouldgeneratecaution.