Absolutization - The Source of Dogma, Repression, and Conflict - Robert M. Ellis

Absolutization - The Source of Dogma, Repression, and Conflict - Robert M. Ellis

Criteria for a Response: Error Focus

Absolutization - The Source of Dogma, Repression, and Conflict - Robert M. Ellis

Robert M. Ellis [+-]
Middle Way Society
Robert M. Ellis is author of a range of interdisciplinary books on Middle Way Philosophy, both within and beyond Buddhism. These have included The Buddha’s Middle Way: Experiential Judgement in His Life and Teaching (Equinox Publishing, 2019) and Archetypes in Religion and Beyond: A Practical Theory of Human Integration and Inspiration (Equinox Publishing, 2022). He is also founder of the Middle Way Society and of Tirylan House Retreat Centre in Wales.

Description

a. Falsification and Error Focus Error focus is a more effective approach than positive focus for avoiding confirmation bias as a dimension of absolutization. It suggests that we make incremental progress towards objectivity, not by eliminating absolutely false claims, but by identifying absolutizations as the erroneous how of judgement. This is reliably but not absolutely available to us from reflection on individual experience of past judgements, and applies equally to all kinds of judgement – individual or social, scientific or moral. b. Refining Shadow Avoidance A focus on avoiding error is an avoidance of evil in the sense of threats from absolutized human judgement, that we have learned to recognize in ‘evil’ characteristics. This is the most practically important part of our response to the shadow, which also includes ‘natural’ evils. It is better targeted than the identification of evil as sociopathic character, which involves the projection of one variable feature as necessary to a character as a whole. c. Emotionally Positive Context Although logical negativity is conventional and reversible, the idea of error may still have emotionally negative associations for us. These can be put in a wider positive frame by a growth mindset that puts error in the context of wider success, so are not a sufficient argument against error focus. The development of a growth mindset may be aided by mindfulness, imagination and critical thinking practices.

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Citation

Ellis, Robert. Criteria for a Response: Error Focus. Absolutization - The Source of Dogma, Repression, and Conflict. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 248-259 Oct 2022. ISBN 9781800502062. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=44333. Date accessed: 04 Oct 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.44333. Oct 2022

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