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fandomhigh2009-10-29 12:35 pm
clevermsbennet.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2009-10-29 12:35 pm
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Logic, Reason and Critical Thinking, Class 8: Period 4, Thursday, October 29
"Today," Miss Bennet announced, "we are going to discuss decision-making. All of you are quite familiar with decision making, in general; for example, you had to decide whether you would come to class today, or stay home and watch television. I can't tell you how pleased I am, to have won that particular battle." She did, in fact, look bemused at that point.
"Learning to think rationally about decisions is an important part of critical thinking. We make decisions every day, but often they are inspired by whim, or based on reasoning which is unsound. If we hope to think logically about the world around us, we must confront decisions methodically, and not haphazardly. To start, we define the problem. What are its boundaries? Then, we explore alternatives. How can we solve this problem? What will be the consequences of each method we might use? Finally, we weigh our options and select one.
"Reaching back to our earlier example, I thoroughly doubt it was my scintillating wit or your passion for knowledge which drove you to come here, today. Perhaps there were students you wished to speak to, after class, so you chose to attend class in order to further a more interesting goal. Perhaps you knew from experience there's nothing on those televisions on Thursday afternoons, and you felt a greater opportunity for entertainment here. Perhaps you worried about receiving detention, if you failed to come to class without a valid excuse; fear is a powerful motivator. Or perhaps you bargained with yourself: come to class, fulfill your obligations, and you will permit yourself all the leisure time you would like tonight.
Miss Bennet went to the chalkboard, abruptly, and began writing. "There are as many ways to make decisions as there are reasons for the decisions themselves," she said. "One might form a list, of what are commonly called 'pros' and 'cons.' One might mathematically calculate the risk versus reward, of each particular strategem. One might seek counsel from a trusted advisor or friend. One might, for that matter, flip a coin. Naturally, some methods are more advantageous than others."
The chalkboard now read
"I would like to introduce you to a method many people have found to be useful. It is known as brainstorming, though I confess I dislike the name. Brainstorming is a useful way to find alternatives, when presented with difficulty. The rules are simple; any and all suggestions are valid, and are written down without criticism. Many times, we eliminate options for fear of sounding ridiculous. There are no such boundaries, today. Suggest any method you can imagine, by which someone might make a decision. Your ideas will in turn spark ideas from others. An idea which you consider laughable might, with small adjustments, become entirely plausible. And your bravery in speaking up will encourage your classmates to do the same.
"Once we have a fair list, we will discuss the benefits and limitations of each, and determine the situations where each might be helpful, or less than so. Shall we begin?"
"Learning to think rationally about decisions is an important part of critical thinking. We make decisions every day, but often they are inspired by whim, or based on reasoning which is unsound. If we hope to think logically about the world around us, we must confront decisions methodically, and not haphazardly. To start, we define the problem. What are its boundaries? Then, we explore alternatives. How can we solve this problem? What will be the consequences of each method we might use? Finally, we weigh our options and select one.
"Reaching back to our earlier example, I thoroughly doubt it was my scintillating wit or your passion for knowledge which drove you to come here, today. Perhaps there were students you wished to speak to, after class, so you chose to attend class in order to further a more interesting goal. Perhaps you knew from experience there's nothing on those televisions on Thursday afternoons, and you felt a greater opportunity for entertainment here. Perhaps you worried about receiving detention, if you failed to come to class without a valid excuse; fear is a powerful motivator. Or perhaps you bargained with yourself: come to class, fulfill your obligations, and you will permit yourself all the leisure time you would like tonight.
Miss Bennet went to the chalkboard, abruptly, and began writing. "There are as many ways to make decisions as there are reasons for the decisions themselves," she said. "One might form a list, of what are commonly called 'pros' and 'cons.' One might mathematically calculate the risk versus reward, of each particular strategem. One might seek counsel from a trusted advisor or friend. One might, for that matter, flip a coin. Naturally, some methods are more advantageous than others."
The chalkboard now read
DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
1) Pros/cons
2) Risk-reward
3) Seek advice
4) Flip coin
"I would like to introduce you to a method many people have found to be useful. It is known as brainstorming, though I confess I dislike the name. Brainstorming is a useful way to find alternatives, when presented with difficulty. The rules are simple; any and all suggestions are valid, and are written down without criticism. Many times, we eliminate options for fear of sounding ridiculous. There are no such boundaries, today. Suggest any method you can imagine, by which someone might make a decision. Your ideas will in turn spark ideas from others. An idea which you consider laughable might, with small adjustments, become entirely plausible. And your bravery in speaking up will encourage your classmates to do the same.
"Once we have a fair list, we will discuss the benefits and limitations of each, and determine the situations where each might be helpful, or less than so. Shall we begin?"
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