Thinking Rationally: Was That Idea Just Disproved, Or Not?
Channel: Alex Zorach
Date: 2014-09-03

Here I talk about the idea of disproving or negating an idea in an argument or line of reasoning.  This could be applied to arguments or discussions with others, things you hear or read, or thoughts in your own head.

I delve into depth using examples from my own thoughts, explaining how I like to sort my thoughts out using a journal.  I give the example of the thought "No girl finds me attractive." and then how I gave an example of a girl who found me attractive, but then found reasons that this example "didn't count".

I explain that this same phenomenon frequently occurs in discussions, when one person states something, and then another person responds with a "But..." statement, often using a negative or argumentative tone of voice.  In many cases, the contrasting statement will be true, but will not necessarily negate or disprove the original one.  When this happens, it can give listeners the false impression that the original statement has been negated or disproved, when in reality the two statements might both be true.

Learning to distinguish between these two scenarios, when an idea has been disproven or negated, vs. when a contrasting statement can coexist with it, both statements being true, is important for reaching truth in discussions.