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Here are some questions that you can ask concerning your own views of the topic. And we have two questions. The first one, what are my beliefs about the issue addressed in the reading? Second question, how open Am I to new ideas on this topic? These questions are very important to consider. So let's look at them in some detail. Why should we ask questions concerning our own views of the topic? Well, just as every author and publication presents material from a particular perspective, readers too, they bring something to the table along the same lines, they bring their own prejudices, and preferences to a text. Though absolute objectivity may be impossible for readers and writers to attain. Knowing your own predispositions toward the topic and author addresses can help you guard against unfairly judging someone else's arguments, or shutting yourself off from potentially helpful ideas. Being aware of your own stance on an issue, before you begin to read something for the first time can help you play the believing and doubting games more effectively. First, reading with your own beliefs firmly in mind can help you recognize which ideas are hard for you to accept, or even to consider fairly. We all resist ideas that run counter to our beliefs. And giving them legitimacy forces us to question our own ideas, it can be uncomfortable. However, being a critical reader means you are willing to be uncomfortable to do just that. And consider ideas that you might otherwise ignore, or flat out reject. When you dismiss an idea and a source text, always consider why it is only because that idea runs counter to your views, try playing the believing game before moving on.
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So what is the believing game anyway? Well, it's essentially a role. And in this game, you play the role of believer, that is to say you believe whatever the author has to say, as truth, you take it at face value. counter to that we have the doubting game. The role, as you can guess is you doubt whatever the author has to say, taking nothing at face value, and possibly coming into the reading with a presuppositional attitude toward dismissal or rejection. Now, when would we want to play the believing game? When would we want to play the doubting game? Well, if you're going to read something, or expose yourself to a source that runs counter to what you already believe, to what you know, you hold as truth, then you're already kind of playing the doubting game against that source, right? You come in with a skeptical attitude. Or perhaps you find your skeptical attitude naturally along the way, because it doesn't exactly align with what you already hold internally. So you have to take yourself out of this automatic role, and intentionally put yourself in the opposite role. In this case, that would be the believer. Then, on the other hand, we have the doubting game where we play the doubter. So when would this be pertinent to our development of critical reading? Well, when we read something that aligns with what we believe already, were put into the role of believers. So we would want to change roles to see from the other side, and play the doubter to see what it feels like to not just accept these things at face value. Well, both of these roles may lead to worldview expansion are things like that, more immediately, there are exercises and personal accountability, we have to hold ourselves accountable to the great breadth of knowledge that we have just at our fingertips these days. And one way to do that is to understand that there are many different approaches to every piece of knowledge available. If we only ever take one approach, we're missing a lot of the picture. We should practice working with different parts of the picture, seeing things more comprehensively, giving us a greater dimensionality of perspective, and thereby enhancing our overall perception of intelligence but not only of intelligence, also of attitudes and well being. Reading with our beliefs firmly in mind or firmly out of mind, can help us recognize which ideas are hard for us to question and criticize. We all like to read material that confirms our present positions, because such reinforcement is comforting. and reassuring. However as a critical reader, you must be willing to question authors who voice opinions you endorse, and to criticize fairly and thoroughly ideas you are predisposed to accept unquestioningly. If you accept information without question, consider why. If it is only because you agree with the author, try playing the doubting game before moving on.
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