A concept I want to discuss is “argument by elimination”. Argument by elimination is a concept where you rule out different possibilities until only one possibility remains. I use this type of deductive argument a lot when I’m trying to find something. For example, the other day I was walking to my room and realized that I forgot my skateboard. I didn’t know where I forgot it but I had a sense of where I could have left it. The possibilities were either in my economic's class room, my teacher’s office, or at the gym. All these possibilities were chosen because these were the only places I went to during that day. So, first off I went to check my economics class but it wasn’t there. Second place I checked was my teacher’s office but noticed it wasn’t there either. Since neither of those places had it I knew that my skate board had to be in the gym. So once I got to the gym I found my skateboard leaning against the locker that I was using earlier that day.
I think the topic you chose to discuss is very much applicable not only in our everyday situations, but also in writing. As a critical thinker, one of the best methods of finding a solution to a problem is to weigh out all the options we have and then find the best one. In your example, if you had not eliminated all your options then you would not have found your skateboard. If another more serious situation comes in our way, it is advisable to use this similar method to reach a valuable solution. Who wouldn’t want a quick-fix to any sticky situation, right?
ReplyDeleteI did the same thing this weekend though I forgot where I put my sweater. I had to search multiple places that I felt where it would be. I searched my room, I checked the inside of my truck, and my friends room until I finally found it in the washroom. I use this method of "argument by elimination" in almost all of my critical thinking solutions. Though it does usually take a long time to come to a solution, you almost will always find or figure out what you need. If I were you I would have checked the gym first since your always in there.#TFM
ReplyDelete