Custom «Ladder of Inference» Essay Paper Sample

There are many self-generated believes that we never take our time to test. We accept such believes due to certain conclusions that we have made based on what we observe. Our observation and our experience lead us to make the conclusions (Stone, et al 2000). Most of the time our feelings erode our ability to attain results. We feel that our beliefs are true since they are based on real data. We feel this way with an assumption that the data we choose is the real data. The important concept to me is the realization that I am the one who identifies the real data. The assumption that the data I select is the real data is biased. This is because I select data depending on my customs, background and personal experience. This stood out for me because all along I have been making decisions based on biased believes.

This week I had to make a presentation at our Christian union meeting. I stood before the congregation to make the presentation. Everyone in the hall was engaged and alert except Sam who looked bored and out of place. Sam is the Christian union treasurer. He turns his eyes away from me and puts his hands in his pockets. When am concluding the presentation, he breaks in and asks a question. ''Which book and chapter did the presentation come from? I did not understand a thing''. Sam thinks am incompetent. The scripture I was sharing is exactly what people like Sam need. As I think of his question, it hits me that he never likes my presentation. He wanted to be the chairperson of the Christian union and I got it. He is power hungry. As I think about him, I make a decision that I will not be answering his questions. This is because he uses all my utterances against me. It is such a bad thing that I have an enemy in the union. I also have to start plotting against him.

From the course concepts from this week, I can now my mental pathway in this brief experience. My conclusion was biased hence it led me to a misguided belief. Beginning with the observable data, which is Sam's question. I identified his behavior, the turning of eyes away from me and putting hands in the pockets. Based on my experience I added my own meaning to it that Sam wanted me to finish up. My assumption was that he is bored and I concluded that he thinks that I am incompetent. My judgment causes me to believe that Sam and the finance committee he heads are opposed to me. The mental process within the few seconds took place so quickly and seemed so reasonable. I hardly realized many steps that I had taken to reach these conclusions.

There is a likelihood that I have such a conversation has been through my head many times. The more I have been thinking that Sam is against me the More I reinforce my tendency to notice his behavior. This is the belief that influenced the data I selected (Stone, et al 2000). The same process might be taking place in Sam's mind. If the situation remains unchecked, we might end up being real enemies. In the future, I will try to look at all the possibilities. My presentation might have been boring or Sam could have been eager to know the book and chapter I was reading. He could indeed be thinking that I am incompetent, but unless we check our conclusions. We can never know the truth. We can only arrive at the conclusion if I take Sam aside and ask him some honest questions about what he thinks about me. The course concepts have helped me in becoming more aware of the way I think and reason.