How to Become a Street Epistemologist
Build rapport with the believer if you don't already know her or him., After you've determined what the believer believes, ask how certain they are that belief is true., Ask why they have decided their belief is true., Based on their reason for...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Build rapport with the believer if you don't already know her or him.
It's important for the believer to feel comfortable rather than confronted.
Small talk enhances your ability to seem non-threatening, but it's also important the believer not feel held captive.
Some street epistemologists, such as Anthony Magnabosco begin with the prompt "Would you like to have a 5 minute conversation?" and set a timer, so that the believer will not feel trapped in conversation. -
Step 2: After you've determined what the believer believes
Some examples of beliefs are god, spirits, or supernatural phenomena, but any belief can, may, and should, be questioned.
Asking the believer for a confidence scale is a technique from Motivational Interviewing that can be helpful in SE.For example, if your believer believes in the Christian God with 97% confidence that belief is true, you may remark "Wow, that's high.
So, why didn't you say 100%?" When prompted, they may begin to give their own reasons to doubt that belief.
On the contrary, if they were to answer that they believe with 30% confidence, you may remark "Hmm.
That's low.
What places you down there?" If your believer has 0% confidence, you may not need to perform SE.
If your believer has 100% confidence, which is very likely, then still remain casual and friendly, remarking on the number, but put more emphasis on the following steps. , Express genuine interest and curiosity in the reasons they give and maintain a friendly demeanor.
It's important to slow down and give them time to think about their responses., Using "If-then" logic can create useful questions about reasons for belief.
For example, if the believer believes in the Christian God because they were raised to, you may ask "If you were raised by a Hindu family, then would you believe in Hindu Gods?" Generally, the question should try to take the reason they gave for believing out of the picture to see if they still believe.
Comparing a person's belief to that of a person who believes an alternative thing is especially useful for the topic of religion and other competing ideas.
In our above example, you may proceed with "If a Hindu is convinced that he has the truth, and he believes because of his upbringing, and you and he can't both be correct, then is believing what you were taught as a child a reliable way to arrive at the truth?" This is the most difficult part of this technique. It takes study and practice on your part to know which questions will be most effective.
If your believers says she or he would still believe without that reason, then repeat that they said they wouldn't believe if that reason were true, so try to find a different reason, repeating the step.
Example: "If you said you'd still support Donald Trump for president, even if he were shown to have lied, then is it fair to say that maybe you support him for a different reason?" If your believer can not name one reason, then it might be useful to ask for a pie chart of reasons, where they assign percentages to each reason. , If you've asked the right questions, then the person may need some time to think about it. Let them have this time. Don't say anything while they stop to ponder what you just asked, even if they don't say anything for several minutes. These moments are where the true progress is made., Your goal should be to plant a seed of doubt. It may take years to grow. End the conversation once you feel you've given the believer something to think about.
As much as people may dislike changing their minds, they dislike changing them in front of people even more.
People come into beliefs much faster than they abandon them.
Think of SE as planting a seed of doubt, which can grow over time. -
Step 3: ask how certain they are that belief is true.
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Step 4: Ask why they have decided their belief is true.
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Step 5: Based on their reason for belief
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Step 6: ask a question that asks the believer to think whether or not this is the true reason for their belief.
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Step 7: Give the person ample time to pause and reflect.
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Step 8: Don't expect the person to change their mind on the spot.
Detailed Guide
It's important for the believer to feel comfortable rather than confronted.
Small talk enhances your ability to seem non-threatening, but it's also important the believer not feel held captive.
Some street epistemologists, such as Anthony Magnabosco begin with the prompt "Would you like to have a 5 minute conversation?" and set a timer, so that the believer will not feel trapped in conversation.
Some examples of beliefs are god, spirits, or supernatural phenomena, but any belief can, may, and should, be questioned.
Asking the believer for a confidence scale is a technique from Motivational Interviewing that can be helpful in SE.For example, if your believer believes in the Christian God with 97% confidence that belief is true, you may remark "Wow, that's high.
So, why didn't you say 100%?" When prompted, they may begin to give their own reasons to doubt that belief.
On the contrary, if they were to answer that they believe with 30% confidence, you may remark "Hmm.
That's low.
What places you down there?" If your believer has 0% confidence, you may not need to perform SE.
If your believer has 100% confidence, which is very likely, then still remain casual and friendly, remarking on the number, but put more emphasis on the following steps. , Express genuine interest and curiosity in the reasons they give and maintain a friendly demeanor.
It's important to slow down and give them time to think about their responses., Using "If-then" logic can create useful questions about reasons for belief.
For example, if the believer believes in the Christian God because they were raised to, you may ask "If you were raised by a Hindu family, then would you believe in Hindu Gods?" Generally, the question should try to take the reason they gave for believing out of the picture to see if they still believe.
Comparing a person's belief to that of a person who believes an alternative thing is especially useful for the topic of religion and other competing ideas.
In our above example, you may proceed with "If a Hindu is convinced that he has the truth, and he believes because of his upbringing, and you and he can't both be correct, then is believing what you were taught as a child a reliable way to arrive at the truth?" This is the most difficult part of this technique. It takes study and practice on your part to know which questions will be most effective.
If your believers says she or he would still believe without that reason, then repeat that they said they wouldn't believe if that reason were true, so try to find a different reason, repeating the step.
Example: "If you said you'd still support Donald Trump for president, even if he were shown to have lied, then is it fair to say that maybe you support him for a different reason?" If your believer can not name one reason, then it might be useful to ask for a pie chart of reasons, where they assign percentages to each reason. , If you've asked the right questions, then the person may need some time to think about it. Let them have this time. Don't say anything while they stop to ponder what you just asked, even if they don't say anything for several minutes. These moments are where the true progress is made., Your goal should be to plant a seed of doubt. It may take years to grow. End the conversation once you feel you've given the believer something to think about.
As much as people may dislike changing their minds, they dislike changing them in front of people even more.
People come into beliefs much faster than they abandon them.
Think of SE as planting a seed of doubt, which can grow over time.
About the Author
Nancy Hart
Brings years of experience writing about cooking and related subjects.
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