Practice temporary alternatives to arrive at a conclusion.
from The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward B. Burger, Michael Starbird
This exercise has the goal of understanding alternatives more realistically. As a result, you might change your opinion, but it is more likely that you will simply have a better understanding of why the alternative views make sense to others. If an hour is too long, try the challenge in fifteen-minute intervals.
How to Apply This
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Select an opinion that you hold that other people, who clearly are wrong, do not hold.
Do not worry about being right, the goal of this exercise is to give you perspective on how the other side views the argument. -
Every other hour, accept your own opinion and think about its implications. In the alternate hours, accept the other opinion and see where that leads.
You have to truly believe in the opinions that you have decided on that hour. Don’t take any actions based on this opinion. Instead, simply imagine the implication of actions that would be taken based on the opinion. -
Try not to be judgmental. Don’t resist the alternative view. You are not committing to any change.
Try to stay neutral until you find valid evidence as to why picking a particular side might not be a wise decision.
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