- The Ashcroft Fitletter
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- A skill either lost or never existed.
I have seen that people generally have beliefs they had as a child. They have seen something once and believe it happens like that all the time. But, what if I were to tell you that this belief you have is wrong? Where is the critical thinking?
They may look at you in shock that you don’t follow that narrative.
Political views are the most prominent place this happens. I am in the UK and we have 2 main parties. The left-wing (ish) Labour Party and the right-wing (ish) Conservative Party. Most in the UK support either of these 2 parties or at the very least sit on either side of the centre ground.
If you ever speak to anyone about a topic even touching on politics it seems to get their backs up. As if their political beliefs are superior to your own.
There is an obvious lack of effort to think about the point made. They seem to retreat back to their instinctive belief. Which tends to be from what others have communicated to them in the past. Or something they heard from someone at their party.
I don’t get angry, ever. This though is the closest I will get. Not because I disagree with them, I love talking and debating. It’s the lack of awareness and lack of openness to see a different perspective.
So, how do we as a society get others to open up their minds to ideas and views? So they at the very least THINK about anything out of their own views.
It isn’t just political beliefs we want to break down… It could be a client, it could be a family member or it could be a co-worker within a project setting.
For this piece, I will use jails as an example. I think that jails should be for rehabilitation, not punishment. I believe that prisoners should get an education in prisons. They may have not known better. They thought what they did was right at the time based on their own beliefs/upbringing/any other reason.
‘Anonymous person’ thinks they did wrong. They should rot in a cell and that is punishment enough to deter them from repeating the crime.
I could be wrong in my beliefs… but I have thought about this long and hard. Repeat offence is common so something isn’t working with prisons.
So let's go through the steps with this example.
Step 1: Be aware of the difference in opinion.
Understand that that person has different beliefs.
We have a difference of opinion on what jails should be for.
Step 2: Define the Belief
Bring up the topic, and articulate the belief you want to break down.
What is the belief? What does it entail?
- They believe that prisons are punishment enough for a crime.
- They did wrong and that being away from home and losing freedom is enough to deter them.
Step 3: Source of the Belief:
Ask yourself or the other person where this belief came from. Is it from personal experience, upbringing, societal norms, or somewhere else?
- They ‘think’ that prisons are too soft and that is why they reoffend.
‘It wasn’t like that in my day’, ‘That is society nowadays summed up’
Step 4: Evidence and Rationality:
Examine the evidence supporting this belief.
Are there factual and logical reasons for holding this belief?
Are there facts that contradict this belief?
Is the evidence based on anecdotal experiences, or is it supported by broader data?
It’s clear, prisons aren’t as tough, but is reoffending up or down?
Well, it looks like it has reduced.
‘But prisons have gone softer’.
There are other underlying issues with the data, but we are talking high level here.
Step 5: Emotional Connection:
Recognise the emotional attachments related to this belief. Sometimes, beliefs are not through fact but due to emotion.
This tends to be where political disagreement comes in, as poor people seem to get the worst of it.
Step 6: Offer Alternative Perspectives:
Expose yourself or the other person to alternative viewpoints. Engage in discussions.
Read books or articles that challenge the belief.
Through the art of retroprosicty, if you offer something they will offer it back. I offered a ‘I understand’ why do you think this?
Which would then allow but to question it and support it with evidence. To which they can agree or disagree.
Step 7: Empathy:
Always use empathy.
Understand that beliefs are part of a person’s identity. Challenging them might make the person defensive.
Step 8: Willingness to Change:
For someone to replace a belief, there has to be a genuine willingness.
This will be difficult to do unless they want to do it. You need to be positive about your own beliefs and be willing to push them.
Step 9: Continuous Learning:
Recognise that beliefs might change as more information becomes available.
You are the one trying to change their views, it’s up to you to maintain the evidence and prove your point. Stay open to continuous learning and re-evaluation of your beliefs.
For the jail conundrum, this would be to see what the government do and reassess based on the data.
Extra steps
Question yourself:
Are you actually right? Get that person to do the same.
Practice Patience:
Changing or breaking down a belief is not an overnight process. It takes time.
Tell me what you think. I would be interested to know if this is a shared perspective.
If you like this piece maybe your friend would too? Let’s see.
Books to read:
“The Believing Brain” by Michael Shermer
“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman