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Amily shaw

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Can we think without any presumptions?

Questions arised from one of the conversation and a reminiscence of a old lady who said:"nobody is right but me."

Are we free of personal bias when we think?
how reliable it is for us ourselves to judge if we are free of personal bias or not ?

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    Arkady Grudzinsky 50+

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    Feb 27 2013: I think, there is a way to think without presumptions. To do that, we need to admit that our opinion is always biased.

    This idea may seem self-refuting, but this is how it works in many other areas: in science, to prove that theory is correct, we must do our best to prove it wrong. Any moral judgment is hypocritical unless we admit our own hypocrisy.

    This is my biased opinion which appears reliable to me.
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      Colleen Steen 500+

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      Feb 27 2013: Hi Arkady,
      I believe there is a way to think without presumptions too, and that may involve recognition of our presumptions and biases. I suggest that once we recognize them for what they are, we can use them as a learning tool and move our thinking around them.....observe our own thinking process. Perhaps this is similar to what you are saying about science? We need to be open to ALL information?

      If your opinion seems reliable and genuine to you, is it hypocrisy?
      (Hypocrisy: "a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not")
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        Arkady Grudzinsky 50+

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        Feb 27 2013: That's what I meant regarding bias.

        Regarding hypocrisy. Using the thinking that you describe, I have noticed that every time I express a moral judgment, it is hypocritical. E.g., one of my favorite moral rules is "do not judge". When I see someone judging others with a "plank in his eye", I can mention it to this person. But then, by doing so, I am also judging that person for judging other people, thus committing the same offense. This goes for nearly all moral statements, regardless of how sincere I am. If I don't admit that I commit exact same thing, perhaps, the same moment I speak, it's hypocritical.
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          Colleen Steen 500+

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          Feb 27 2013: Oh....I see what you're saying, Arkady. I believe that we often teach what we need to learn, and you seem to be recognizing that in yourself. I prefer to call it learning, rather than hypocritical. If I did not recognize what I was doing, and continued to do the same thing over and over again (judging a person for judging) it may seem hypocritical. The fact that you realize what you're doing and learn from it, seems to take it out of the label of hypocritical for me.

          I'm sure you know what the label is for doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? In my humble perception and observation, you are NOT doing that Arkady:>)
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      Amily shaw 10+

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      Feb 27 2013: hey Arkady, thats exactly what i have been wodering about! Good thinking there to always admit opinion is always biased. we do that not only when we make moral judgements as I have noticed myself and others did that many times.hahaha

      Emm...the quote from Alan Watts makes a lot of sense.
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        Arkady Grudzinsky 50+

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        Feb 27 2013: Re: "Emm...the quote from Alan Watts makes a lot of sense."

        You know why? Because this statement ironically admits that it is nonsense and makes fun of it. The same principle as I mentioned.

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