TFY ch. 5 Summary- Assumptions

TFY, chapter 5 summary Assumptions: What’s Taken for Granted?


Assumptions can be made consciously or unconsciously, and they can be warranted or unwarranted. When people assume, they take up or accept something. They accept it without proof that it is true or certain. There are also hidden assumptions. Hidden assumptions are defined as unconscious assumptions that influence a line of reasoning. A hidden assumption is not always easy to identify. A Stereotype is one type of a hidden assumption. Value assumptions are also a type of hidden assumptions people make and rarely or never question them, most of the time these assumptions are passed down from family or through their culture. They are unexamined beliefs that unconsciously affect our thought processes. Conscious assumptions are also known as working assumptions. Working assumptions serve as strategies or working trials. For example, every day I arrive at the Bart station at 8: 20 AM. I assume the 8: 25 AM Bart train will be on time so I could arrive to class on time. Working assumptions help people plan their day to day activities and their lives. Warranted assumptions are based on some knowledge of pertinent standards, codes, customs, or agreements. When I visit my doctor I assume and expect her to give me good and true advice concerning my health. An unwarranted assumption would be to think that I could go to the store and take things without having to pay for them. The author states that arguments are a way of reasoning in order to be persuasive. A good argument never relies on assumptions, but does rely on claims supported by reasoning, facts, examples, and evidence. An Incongruity is something that does not meet our expectations about what is correct, appropriate, logical, or standard. When we experience or observe something that does not meet our expectations or assumptions, disequilibrium is caused. Equilibrium is defined as the stable inner feeling of balance and well-being we have when the schemas or mental constructs of our experiences and beliefs enable us to understand our environments and function well within them. Disequilibrium is the confusion and discomfort we feel when a new experience cannot be adequately explained by our existing schemas. The author notes that we experience disequilibrium when our assumptions are challenged by momentous experiences. We can actually feel physical discomfort when it takes place. Equilibrium is restored when find a new understanding through the process of reexamining our assumptions. I have to remember the next time I make an assumption that I am accepting an idea without enough proof, and to check it carefully before I cause a problem for myself.