Asking the Right Questions, A Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th Ed

The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions 11
To feel proud of a particular opinion, it should be one we have
selected—selected from alternative opinions that we have understood and
evaluated.
The Satisfaction of Using the Panning-for-Gold Approach
Doing is usually more fun than watching; doing well is more fun than simply
doing. If you start using the interactive process taught in this book, you can
feel the same sense of pride in your reading and listening that you normally
get from successful participation in physical activities.
Critical thinkers find it satisfying to know when to say "no" to an idea or
opinion and to know why that response is appropriate. If you regularly use
the panning-for-gold approach, then anything that gets into your head will
have been systematically examined first. When an idea or belief does pass the
criteria developed here, it will make sense to agree with it—at least until new
evidence appears.
Imagine how good you will feel if you know why you should ignore or
accept a particular bit of advice. Frequently, those faced with an opinion
different from their own respond by saying, "Oh, that's just your opinion."
But the issue should not be whose opinion it is, but rather whether it
is a good opinion. Armed with the critical questions discussed in this
book, you can experience the satisfaction of knowing why certain advice is
nonsense.
The sponge approach is often satisfying because it permits you to accumulate
information. Though this approach is productive, there is much more
gratification in being a participant in a meaningful dialogue with the writer or
speaker. Reading and listening become much richer as you begin to see things
that others may have missed. As you learn to select information and opinions
systematically, you will probably desire to read more and more in a lifelong
effort to decide which advice makes sense.
Trying Out New Answers
Although there is often no absolutely right answer, this book tries to encourage
your search for better answers. Certainly, some answers are more accurate,
appropriate, useful, or moral than are others. For you to want to do the hard
work necessary to find better answers, you need substantial curiosity and even
courage.