One of the most pervasive but easy-to-fix mistakes we make is asserting that a claim about something is so obviously true that it need not be tested. Famous examples from past centuries include the weight of an object affects its speed when falling and the earth being the center of the universe. Modern examples include the claim that abstinence education reduces teen pregnancies and the need for abortions, and the idea that nothing stops atheists from acting in the worst ways possible.
People who have thought this way hold the mistaken notion that the claim contains its own proof, eliminating the need to investigate and verify. This erroneous situation needs to be addressed during everyone's primary school education so that, as adults, people don't make major decisions based on "obvious" claims that fail under scrutiny.
People who have thought this way hold the mistaken notion that the claim contains its own proof, eliminating the need to investigate and verify. This erroneous situation needs to be addressed during everyone's primary school education so that, as adults, people don't make major decisions based on "obvious" claims that fail under scrutiny.
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