A form of lateral thinking

[Reciprocality]

Perhaps the most important talent you can have, whether taught or inborn, is the ability to know when to give people the benefit of the doubt if a statement appears illogical to instead of contradicting them imagine that the concrete situation they refer to is distinct from the concept or phrase they use such that the statement actually makes sense. 

It appears that American men, more so than any other demographic in the general west, has a poor talent for this. 

This will not typically be the first thing you think, since your memories are naturally disposed to make it apparent if something that someone says contradicts such a memory, and these memories are precisely the necessary medium through which language becomes interpretable and actually meaningful at all.

 

Self-awareness is the ingredient for such a talent, you can not successfully force yourself to behave this way, it must become spontaneous.

What are your thoughts on this?

Edited February 23 by Reciprocality

[caspex]

I agree with you. It's not obvious for many people that concepts are fluid and not fixed. Many times, a simple mention of a certain term or phrase can trigger reactions and the unwillingness to understand the other.

Even illogical ideas can be understood if reasoned to in the same illogical manner, which requires crazy mental gymnastics. Furthermore, one would become able to transcend their own logical limitations by being able to understand the logic of others, which may even be more refined at times.

Although, I wouldn't say only America is prone to this to the point that it deserves special mention, it's just more apparent on the internet that America is like that. In my experience, most people in every country are like this.