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How Do YOU Know What You Said You Know?

I just received a newsletter article by Jim Cathcart dated 23/6/2010.

In the article, Jim shared that there is an organization called The Institute of Noetic Science founded by astronaut Edgar Mitchell. They study what it means to "know" something and how we know what we know.

Sounds like some high minded stuff eh? It's fascinating. For example: take something you know to be true. Then examine, how do you know it? Are you sure about it?

Jim says, here are some ways we conclude that we "Know":
  • Personal experience - we saw it ourselves
  • Expert testimony - we heard it from an authority
  • Scientific method - we tested it and proved it
  • Intuition - we know it on an unconscious level
  • Feelings - our gut tells us it is so
  • Reason - we used logic to figure it out
None of these is a perfect source, all could be wrong. But the more we respect each way of "knowing" the more likely we are to reach a reliable conclusion.

So, the next time someone says "I know this to be true", ask them specifically, "HOW do you know?"

Thank you for sharing this Jim. It is a grreeaaatttt article.

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