Everyday Skeptic, Part 3: Credible Evidence

Note: The video portion of this article could not be completed due to time constraints. It will be added on a future date.

While it is very possible to dismiss many claims using the rules of logic covered in the last installment of the series, you are still likely to encounter claims that, while adhering to the rules in their format, still warrant a bit of skepticism from you, the reader. This is because not all claims have credible evidence. Just to review from last week:

A statement is true if it is a positive claim and there is credible evidence to affirm it, while there is no credible contrary evidence that makes the statement untrue.

The most critical piece of any argument, given that it is a logical, positive statement, is supporting evidence. What remains to be added to our skeptic’s toolkit is a way to tell if evidence is credible, flimsy, or false. Some of the most common bits of misinformation are believed because readers either could not tell how bad the evidence really was, or were unable or unwilling to evaluate the credibility of evidence on their own. In this week’s article, we will go through what sort of things make good, affirmative scientific evidence, leaving the fallacies for their own shrine of dishonor next week.

The Scientific Method

The scientific method was developed and refined over the course of many centuries leading up to the modern day as a means to determine the objective reality of various physical processes. It accomplishes this using specific experimental processes, data gathering techniques, and rules of reasoning. When evidence fails to follow the guidelines of the scientific method in its acquisition and evaluation, it loses its objectivity, and therefore becomes less usable to others.

I. The experimental process

Not all scientific information requires experimentation. Most facts can be derived from observation of physical objects and phenomenon that are already occurring naturally. For instance, no experiment is needed to determine the average height of trees in the Sequoia National Forest; one only needs to go measure the trees and do the math. Scientific experiments are usually used to determine causal relationships.

1. Background.

Usually, when you are performing a scientific experiment, you are not doing it blind or striving for a totally random outcome. You start by reviewing literature of those who have come before you, or observing something in nature or the human world. You may see hints at a pattern, or may wonder about an area of science or a physical process that has yet to be tested. You use this background information to formulate the next part of the process:

Everyday Skeptic, Part 2: What is Truth?

Note: the video contains the same information as the article, but in a more conversational form.

Now that we have established why it is important to be skeptical, and what sort of situations should prompt you to be extra careful, we can dive into the methods used to be skeptical.

Being a skeptic doesn’t mean you disbelieve everything and everyone, it means that you demand proof of claims before you commit them to belief or take action. In future articles, we will delve into what constitutes good and bad sources of evidence, and how to tell if evidence is used properly. For now, let us discuss an important logical concept: truth.

I. What makes something true?

The concept of truth is as old as philosophy. For the purposes of this article, which deals with claims, true means that something really exists, and can be proven. This concept can be defined quite briefly:

A statement is true if it is a positive claim and there is credible evidence to affirm it, while there is no credible contrary evidence that makes the statement untrue.

Like all brief statements, this one can be somewhat complex, so let’s take a closer look at the three conditions contained in the statement:

Everyday Skeptic, Part 1: Why and When to be Skeptical

Please note: The video below contains the same information as the article, but in a more conversational form. Choose which format you prefer!

I. Series Introduction: Information and Expertise

Everyday life is filled with decisions. Many of these decisions are made without knowing what the outcome will be. We rely on many things to help us make these decisions, including our own experience, intuition, assumptions how other people will act, and, the subject of this article, information from other people.

Everybody is an expert in something, but nobody, not even the super intelligent, can be an expert in everything. Each person trades the knowledge and skills he has in his own area for the knowledge and skills of other people’s areas. This is the division of labor that makes economies work, but also represents an information exchange. We trust our doctor to give us information about our health, and the doctor in turn trusts us to give him the benefits of our expertise – plumbing, teaching, even food service is an expertise – to meet his needs. Sometimes, money is involved in the trade, but often the information exchange is free and part of our friendships and social interactions. Advice about which wine tastes good or which plumber does the best job, are examples of this.

The members of the media are sort of information specialists, telling us about events that we cannot witness for ourselves. Often, however, media outlets do more than report events. They can move into areas that are well beyond news description, discussing scientific findings, political motivations, or promoting various prescriptions for action. On the internet, many such claims are made and distributed through a variety of networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, but just because something is published or claims to speak from authority, does not make it the truth. There is no media police to enforce honesty and integrity.

The purpose of this article, and the ones that will follow, is to assist the everyday person in figuring out which claims are likely to be true or likely to be false, without having to become an expert in the field. This way, we can spend our time on what matters – our own passions, expertise, and personal lives – and not on determining if a news story is true or not.

II. Three reasons we should all be skeptical

Teachers make a DIFFERENCE! What about YOU? Huh?

A Reflection on the Ego of the Teaching Profession

I had a different article in mind for today, but a conversation I had during work yesterday with my screenwriting partner Matt (find his website here) inspired me to create a different piece. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to share!

Credit/Source: Zen Pencils, zenpencils.com 

            I am a teacher.

            I have been a teacher for more than ten years, in various faculties. I’ve taught at private and public school. I’ve taught individuals and I’ve taught classrooms full of kids. I’ve taught at the college level and the elementary school level. Given my experience, it seems that the label of teacher is inescapable. Indeed, it seems I am the only one in my life actively contesting the title.

            I am a writer.

            I am a musician.

            I am a craftsman.

I am many other things to myself, my family, and my friends, but to people who have just met me, it all gets boiled down to “teacher.” Why then, do I rebel?

A Short Exposition on Bullying

What is bullying?

Bullying is classified a power relationship.  It is one of fear, and aggression, and violence.  It is one person being marginalized by another, being subjected to their will on some level, whether that will results in theft or malevolent degradation, or just plain violence.

Bullying is a more horrific experience than you may realize.

My childhood experience with my peers is one of violence.  Not necessarily as a “victim” per se, but as part of a general atmosphere.  Children sought to hurt each other, and they used far more than words; they used fists and knees and baseball bats.  For a teacher who sees children teasing, they may think sympathetically of the child’s feeling of isolation or their hurt self-esteem, but for a child involved a real bullying experience it is from their perspective probably closer to Stephen King’s It, in which the bully carries a knife and tries to carve his name into the fat kid’s belly. 

Bullying is nothing new or special. 

Part of the curse of my photographic memory is my ability to remember childhood, and I can tell you in more than 20 years nothing has really changed, and from the witness of my elders the past century has brought no progress.  The internet gives additional opportunities, nothing more or less, in the same way that congregating at a mall does. Children have always sought to exert power over others; the real question is why.  From my perspective it is quite obvious.

It is we who create bullies.

Recognizing the fact that behavior is learned and nobody is born to be cruel (well, perhaps some people are unable to be anything but sociopaths, but that is another debate), it is we as teachers, parents, and citizens (for lack of a better word) that have created bullies.  Children witness and are subjected to unequal power relationships every day with and between the adults around them.  They are coerced into attending school and forced every day and every hour to submit themselves to the power of teachers, parents and administrators. If they resist, object, or question it, they are punished.  Children are the least free people in America besides those in prison (who have to deal with their own variety of bullies- the kind who violate with more than words).  Is it any wonder they lash out?  That they imitate the conditions to which they themselves have been subjected?  Creating power over another person is a way to feel free; to feel like you are able to finally assume the role of the adults around you; that you are not completely powerless.

Prevention of bullying is almost impossible.

In order to respond to bullying as a teacher you must first witness it.  Children, though we may think less of them, are not so foolish as risk being subjected to the negative possibilities of a power relationship between themselves and adults (in other words, punishment from adults) by bullying someone else in front of a teacher or administrator.  They will do it in the halls, bathrooms, playground, and outside of school if they must, and it is not possible for the school to monitor a child at all times.  Furthermore, children are clever enough to figure out the areas that will not be monitored. 

A child doesn't tell on a bully. They avoid it because of the inevitable reprisal that you as a teacher cannot prevent.  They avoid it because they feel, and are likely correct, that you are incapable of protecting them.

Bullying is here to stay.

It is unlikely that the situations that create bullying will ever be fully resolved, at least as long as education is compulsory.  The final escape for both those who bully, and those who are bullied, which is escape from the locality that creates it, will likely never be an avenue that will open to either party.  The end of compulsory education, though it might go a long way toward reducing bullying and providing meaningful avenues of escape and prevention, is not likely to happen in my lifetime.

How do we save our children?

We can’t save them.  We must prepare them.  Children are not born equipped with the tools (physical or otherwise) to defend against violence or to commit violence, and their egos are not shod in iron and impenetrable.  All you can do is build up your children enough that they don’t suffer so much from the ills of others.  Create enough pride, will and self-esteem in them that they do not feel the need to bully, even in situation of being bullied, and at the same time take away the impact of that attempt at a power relationship.

The Value of an Education

Lots of people talk about the value of a good education, but what is this value, really?

The Market Value of a Degree

Whether the market values your degree is almost entirely dependant on the type of profession you are entering and the type of degree you have acquired. A doctor must legally have a medical degree. Likewise a law degree is necessary to practice in most states. These are pretty significant gate checks if you are entering into these fields. So if you put in the time and effort to get an MD or JD there is a good chance the market will inherently value your education. Other notable additions are fields such as engineering.

What about those who have degrees in art, or business? Are those worth anything to a free market? The short answer is no, they are not. Whether you have a degree in music (like myself), English, or business, out in the real world you are judged on the quality of your output, not your education. Nobody ever hired me for a gig based on my college education, but rather for my demonstrable skill set and experience. Nobody will give you an advance on a novel because of your English degree, and nobody will hand you a $100k per year job because you showed up to business school for 4 years. The reality that the world will only reward you for your actual ability to produce is not something most people want to accept.

The Value of a Degree to You

Just because the world doesn't place any value on your degree doesn't mean it was a waste of time. A degree is a certification of knowledge, and knowledge is useful. Each class taught you a set of skills and imparted pieces of wisdom that may help you on your way, if not be directly applied to your goals as an artist or businessman. Of course, such things only have value if you choose to use them.

I've noticed that the people who value their own education the most are those who have the least to show for it in the real world. People who have achieved something of value, either to others (as in business) or for themselves rarely seem to talk about their education, preferring to let their work speak for itself. Those who have achieved nothing often feel the need to make their education their achievement, placing it outside of its true purpose and making it a thing unto itself.

I know I am more proud of my body of work. My songs, poems, screenplays and stories speak for themselves.

Learn by Doing

One final thing teachers never seem to communicate is that you will learn far more while engaged in your field than you ever will in a classroom. Great performers are taught as much on the stage as in the practice room. Great writers learn to craft incredible narratives by writing, not by analyzing Jane Austen. Successful business owners grow to understand their market and customers by serving them in the real world, not by taking statistics classes. Spend some time with a seasoned businessman and he will tell you that in the job market, experience trumps education every time.