The importance of accepting critical analysis (Alan Aragon)

wheird

While getting caught up on some nutrition-related reading, I stumbled across this article in Alan Aragon's blog. I think it is a great article that highlights the importance of accepting critical analysis as a way to further education and understanding of a subject rather than feeling attacked by someone questioning you.

We tend to see a lot of hurt feelings here on MFP when someone challenges what they believe to be true. I feel that this is unfortunate, as being challenged helps us to better understand the subject that we are discussing. When we let our ego's get in the way we only end up ignorant rather than enlightened.

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2013/06/10/my-unexpected-journey-into-pubmed/#more-3712

Here is a quote that really resonated with me:

People are generally afraid of getting their material picked apart, especially since glowing, spotless reviews are a popular marketing tactic. What I found out about Brad is that he doesn’t give the slightest damn about always being right. He cares about finding the truth, and has come to grips with the fact that this process involves being wrong at times. If the weight of the evidence indicates it, Brad will gladly admit error, and adjust his views accordingly. This is a huge part of the scientific mindset. Unfortunately, this is a rare quality among the self-absorbed characters that predominate the fitness industry and academia alike.

notworthstalking

Thanks for sharing. I believe in all aspects of life we need to keep learning and growing. Nutrition is a big area I have learnt a lot about in the past year and I am always learning. We can't always be 100% correct and we can't always agree , but we can always learn from other people :drinker:

wheird

Thanks for sharing. I believe in all aspects of life we need to keep learning and growing. Nutrition is a big area I have learnt a lot about in the past year and I am always learning. We can't always be 100% correct and we can't always agree , but we can always learn from other people :drinker:

Absolutely. It is a shame when you get zealots on either side of an argument that cannot be scientifically honest. It is the wild claims that you can only lose weight doing x/y/z that really derail things. And fighting those battles constantly (daily on MFP) takes away from time that could be spent discussing the more important nuances.

Unknown

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wheird

Strong post.

neanderthin

While getting caught up on some nutrition-related reading, I stumbled across this article in Alan Aragon's blog. I think it is a great article that highlights the importance of accepting critical analysis as a way to further education and understanding of a subject rather than feeling attacked by someone questioning you.

We tend to see a lot of hurt feelings here on MFP when someone challenges what they believe to be true. I feel that this is unfortunate, as being challenged helps us to better understand the subject that we are discussing. When we let our ego's get in the way we only end up ignorant rather than enlightened.

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2013/06/10/my-unexpected-journey-into-pubmed/#more-3712

Here is a quote that really resonated with me:

People are generally afraid of getting their material picked apart, especially since glowing, spotless reviews are a popular marketing tactic. What I found out about Brad is that he doesn’t give the slightest damn about always being right. He cares about finding the truth, and has come to grips with the fact that this process involves being wrong at times. If the weight of the evidence indicates it, Brad will gladly admit error, and adjust his views accordingly. This is a huge part of the scientific mindset. Unfortunately, this is a rare quality among the self-absorbed characters that predominate the fitness industry and academia alike.

Favourite quote:

In the choice between changing ones mind and proving there's no need to do so, most people get busy on the proof.