| | I've been doing a lot of thinking (and praying) about humility lately, and had a brief dialogue with a fellow xangan about reflexivity lately, so I thought I would prattle on about it for a few minutes.
Hold on to your proverbial bootstraps! and I don't mean Bill.
Reflexive: Directed back on itself.
www.dictionary.com
Reflexive thought looks back on itself with the same standards of critique and/or appraisal as those applied to other's thoughts or ideas. A reflexively made statement is not a point and shoot statement, but a critically analyzed statement--analyzed from as many points of view as possible.
Say, I state that the Detroit Pistons are the best team in the NBA (a statement I would have made a week ago). For this statement to be reflexive, it cannot come purely from my perspective as a fan, but must reflect back upon itself: what standard makes Detroit the best team, and how do other teams rank according to that standard; what weaknesses do the Pistons possess, and how does my appraisal account for them?
Reflexive thought is humble thought. Personally, I'm not very patriotic. However, if I am to speak circumspectly (a Biblical word for reflexively - see Exodus 23:13) about the USA, I can't just spout off rants against weaknesses or faults apparent to me, but must assess those weaknesses and faults from multiple perspectives. If America is faulty, I can be free to propose a better appraisal of the nation. However, if the weaknesses are not so gross as I assumed when assessed reflexively, then my statements must carry those assessments.
Of course, this could make reflexive statements into mere political correctness, but, that would be an overstatement. Reflexive statements can be very assertive, and quite opposed to the status quo, or the politically correct. These statements simply take into account multiple ways of assessing their own truth value, and are made in appropriate ways. So, I could say that I believe the Pistons are the best, yet their age and lack of a strong inside game may work against them. Or, I could say that Americans often overestimate the greatness of their nation, yet it's greatness is real at points, and from there discuss the weaknesses and faults that need to be addressed.
This explanation may be a little soft. Let me know if you need further elucidation.
Pardon my vocabulary, but I've recently fallen in love with words again.
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| | Posted 6/5/2006 6:45 PM - 38 Views - 6 eProps - 4 comments
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