So tell me...

[celandineb]

How does one deal with it when someone refuses to think? That is, to look at all of the evidence and reach a reasoned conclusion based on that evidence, rather than whatever ideas they brought in to begin with but which may or may not be supported by the facts before them?

Yes, I'm grading this weekend. But this applies to the real world as well.

Comments

[celandineb]

Indeed! It's just... frustrating, you know? To see people who must have a brain refuse to actually USE it. *sighs*

[iamshadow]

How does one deal with it when someone refuses to think?

Alcohol and cynicism.

Oh, you mean how do you get them to think? No idea.

*uses teacher icon*

[celandineb]

Yeah, getting people to think is the hardest part. Although I used to think conveying the facts themselves was relatively easy, but I'm not even sure of that any more.

[tayefeth]

Once all available cluebats have been applied to their skulls and they still refuse to think, fail them. If you have too many students who do this, get a stamp that says "Conclusions not supported by actual evidence" to spare you having to write it repeatedly.

In the real world, try to ignore them as much as possible and, as someone said above, hope they forget to vote.

[jelazakazone]

Oooh, there's the slogan we need to get out: "forget to vote"!

[celandineb]

And a good slogan, in some cases...

[celandineb]

Heh. I've evolved a grading strategy that means I have a preset list of comments, and I go through the paper and note which apply. Then I copy & paste and print out the applicable ones. So yeah, there is one that says basically what you suggest. *veg*

Hope they forget to vote indeed!