Evidence By Kathryn Schulz Essay

1377 Words6 Pages
Evidence is absolutely essential in our lives. It is the very thing that guides our beliefs and allows us to gather information and make conclusions about the world around us. In her essay “Evidence,” Kathryn Schulz states, “[ . . . ][T]he ideal thinker approaches a subject with a neutral mind, gathers as much evidence as possible, assesses it coolly, and draws conclusions accordingly” (363). Unfortunately, this is not the way our minds work. Our brains are wired in a way that allows us to believe things and draw conclusions based on small amounts of evidence. Our previous experiences of the world are what we usually use to determine what is true (Schulz 366). This type of thinking is known as inductive reasoning. Schulz says that “[ . . . ] the distinctive thing about the conclusions we draw through induction is that they are probabilistically true -- which means that they are possibly false” (369). Because we tend to come to conclusions based on minimal evidence, our beliefs are probable and not necessarily true. This means that there is room for error and falsehood with…show more content…
We have become obsessed with the fact that we must always be perfect and free of error. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking negatively affects us and only leads us further away from the real truth. Even if there is a slightest bit of evidence that goes against our own opinions or beliefs, we often dismiss it in fear of being wrong. People are afraid to participate in group discussions or ask questions because they have a fear of being wrong and seeming foolish. In our culture, we strive for an error free standard that leaves us free of any faults. According to Schulz, “[ . . . ][O]ur mistakes are part and parcel of our brilliance, not the regrettable consequences of a separate and deplorable process” (369). We often see our mistakes as failures instead of processes that bring us further to truth and
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