2021年英语四级美文赏析：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,remindyourselfthatyouseemsotothemInthisopinionbothpartiesmayberight,buttheycannotbothbewrong.Thisreflectionshouldgeneratecaution.