Evaluate Evidence and Reasoning
Purposeful, focused listening and critical thinking go hand in hand. Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate claims on the basis of well-supported reasons, to look for flaws in arguments, and to resist claims that have no supporting evidence.
As you listen to speeches, use your critical faculties to:
- Evaluate the speaker’s evidence. Is it accurate? Are the sources credible? Can the evidence be tracked?
- Analyze the speaker’s assumptions and biases. What lies behind the speaker’s assertions? Does the evidence support these assertions?
- Assess the speaker’s reasoning. Does it make sense? Does it betray faulty logic? Does it rely on fallacies in reasoning? (See Chapter 25 for additional fallacies of reasoning.)
- Consider multiple perspectives. Is there another way to view the argument? How do other viewpoints compare with the speaker’s?
- Summarize and assess the relevant facts and evidence. If the speaker asks for an action on the part of listeners (as is often the case in persuasive speeches; see Chapter 24), decide how you will act on the basis of the evidence. Will you be more apt to act on the evidence itself, or in line with what you think most people will do?
USE THE THOUGHT/SPEECH DIFFERENTIAL TO LISTEN CRITICALLY
Did you know that we think at a much faster rate than we speak? We speak at ninety to two hundred words per minute, but we think at five hundred to six hundred words per minute. This differential between “thought speed” and “speech speed” is one reason we can be so easily distracted. But you can use the differential to your advantage. When you find yourself “thinking ahead” of the speaker, use the time to focus on questions that foster critical thinking:
What does the speaker really mean?-
Why is he or she presenting this material?
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How credible is the evidence being presented?
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Is the speaker leaving anything out?
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How can I use what the speaker is telling me?1