Can I change your mind about changing minds – Emina McLean (Part 3)

 

Who we trust – continued.

Emina:

If people think you are part of their groupthink, or share their values and attitudes, they are more likely to listen to you. If people think you are not a part of their groupthink, and hold different values, they are likely to reject what you say without paying attention to it. If people perceive you as being on a different side to them, they will reject your expertise, deny your credibility and will not afford your arguments any trust or validity. It is actually that simple and that complex.

 

My comment: A related post on my blog on why people prefer to believe myth instead of facts may be worthwhile reading before proceeding. It is found here.

https://www.dyslexiafriend.com/2020/04/people-prefer-to-believe-myth-instead.html

 

Again, Emina McLeanhas hit the nail right on the head. What she says appear to be the case with almost all the teachers I have dealt with on LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

However, I cannot accept this behaviour from educators. I'd rather walk alone than walk with a group walking in the wrong direction.

The Good Book says; ‘Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’

 

What is the ‘groupthink’ of educators? 

 

I believe the most important ‘groupthink’ is to reduce illiteracy. 

 

Basically that is what my whole blog is all about.

 

Why can’t we change our minds when new evidence is presented? 

 

Why not look at the message and not the messenger?

 

Listen to the substance of a message, rather than becoming obsessed with the messenger’s credentials, colour of skin etc.

 

As for me, when someone presents something different from what I believe and have been writing on and if it does make sense I will just say, ‘thank you, that makes sense’ and adopt what I have newly learned. I just say I am sorry I overlooked or say anything as in my blog post on EGO found in my post found here.

 

As for my blog posts, how can I be on a different side just because I have discovered something that is unlikely for other educators to discover when my discovery is based on testing kids on several languages?

 

Why would an educator ignore what I am saying instead of discussing or questioning me further?

 

“Research is to see what everybody else sees, and think what nobody else has thought.” This was said by Hungarian biochemist, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who first isolated vitamin C.