Change Is A Sound

A common theme in my life right now seems to be demanding evidence to support claims. It’s been going on for a few weeks now, and I feel like a broken record because it seems like I’m constantly telling someone that an assertion of fact must be supported by evidence.

Last week, my little girl had to read a one-page handout on Helen Keller, list 10 facts from the handout, and then determine which three were most important. As she chose the facts she felt were most important, I asked her to explain why she felt that way. At the end, I asked her if she knew why I did it. She thought for a moment and then said, “Because you want to make sure I have the right answer?” I explained that in this case, there weren’t really any right answers to speak of; I asked her to explain her reasoning to make sure she had a plausible explanation for why that specific fact was so important.

It wasn’t about the answer - it was about the process behind getting to an answer. It was about justifying and supporting and explaining and providing evidence for that answer.

I am, simply put, constantly trying to teach her how to think critically, how to ask questions, how to assess situations and so forth. I can’t protect her from the world, but if I do a sufficiently decent job of teaching her how to apply reason to situations, I believe she’ll avoid most situations that she would need protection from.

My little girl is 10, and I am - for better or worse - teaching her how to question and debate, how to carefully examine evidence and dissect it like a scientist while being able to argue about that evidence like an attorney. There’s a lot of Socratic method in our talks. A LOT.

And perhaps this is why I’m so disappointed when people jump to conclusions based on quotes taken out of context or when people make assertions of fact without citing primary sources. It’s poor thinking and poor rhetoric. It’s embarrassing and any writer worth their salt should know better.

And yet this is what my life has been lately. A lengthy chat with a friend yesterday, pointing out that a seemingly controversial comment about disability from a third-hand source also had a perfectly innocent interpretation. Pointing out that assertions of fact need to be cited. And so on and so forth.

And all I want to do right now is lay in bed with my girlfriend and watch “Super 8.” Luckily, I think that’s exactly what we’re going to do.