【Toavoidthevariousfoolishopinionstowhichmankindareprone,nosuperhumangeniusisrequired.Afewsimpleruleswillkeepyou,notfromallerror,butfromsillyerror.Ifthematterisonethatcanbesettledbyobservation,maketheobservati】
Toavoidthevariousfoolishopinionstowhichmankindareprone,nosuperhumangeniusisrequired.Afewsimpleruleswillkeepyou,notfromallerror,butfromsillyerror.
Ifthematterisonethatcanbesettledbyobservation,maketheobservationyourself.Aristotlecouldhaveavoidedthemistakeofthinkingthat(31)______,bythesimpledeviceofaskingMrs.Aristotletokeephermouthopenwhilehecounted.Ibelievemyselfthathedgehogseatblackbeetles,because(32)______;butifIwerewritingabookonthehabitsofhedgehogs,Ishouldnotcommitmyselfuntil(33)______.Aristotle,however,waslesscautious.Ancientandmedievalauthorsknewallaboutunicornsandsalamanders;notoneofthemthoughtitnecessarytoavoiddogmaticstatementsaboutthembecause(34)______.
Manymatters,however,arelesseasilybroughttothetestofexperience.If,likemostofmankind,(35)______therearewaysinwhichyoucanmakeyourselfawareofyourownbias.Ifanopinioncontrarytoyourownmakesyouangry,thatisasignthat(36)______.Ifsomeonemaintainsthattwoandtwoarefive,orthatIcelandisontheequator,youfeelpityratherthananger,unless(37)______thathisopinionshakesyourowncontraryconviction.Themostsavagecontroversiesarethoseaboutmattersastowhichthereisnogoodevidenceeitherway.Persecutionisusedintheology,notinarithmetic,because(38)______,butintheologythereisonlyopinion.Sowheneveryoufindyourselfgettingangryaboutadifferenceofopinion,(39)______;youwillprobablyfind,onexamination,that(40)______.Itisagoodwayofridingyourselfofcertainkindsofbiasedopinionstobecomeawareofthosedifferentfromyourown.
(FromHowtoAvoidtheFoolishOpinions)
[A]Ihavebeentoldthattheydo
[B]beonyourguard
[C]hehadneverseenoneofthem
[D]Ihadseenoneenjoyingthisunappetizingdiet
[E]youaresubconsciouslyawareofhavingnogoodreasonforthinkingasyoudo
[F]manisabriefepisodeinthelifeofasmallplanetinalittlecomeroftheuniverse
[G]youknowsolittleofarithmeticorgeography
[H]thequestionisonetowhichthereisnodemonstrablyrightanswer
[I]womenhavefewerteeththanmen
[J]yourbelie