Written Analysis 4

Written Analysis

                        A formula is like a process; it is set way of how to do something in order to achieve a certain answer or goal. I think formulas can absolutely be applied to my popular culture topic of opinions of Hillary Clinton. Everyone forms opinions it is a huge part of human nature. Forming an opinion is very much a formula. It may not be an exact formula as everyone does it differently.

            Oxford Royal Academy, located in the UK published called “9 Ways to Think More Rationally and Develop Your Own Opinions.” This article steps are very much their own version of a formula for forming an opinion. Step one is read lots, “The first and most crucial point about forming your own opinions is that it’s vital to read widely and consider what you read critically,” (2014 p. 1). This is important because if you were forming an educated opinion of Hillary Clinton, theoretically you would read different materials and learn about her. Step two is understanding writer’s motivations. Do they have biases against Hillary Clinton, are they pro her? Step three is be honest with yourself and your own biases. I can say that I am biased towards Clinton, and most likely anything I do about her will support her. Step four is assessing the evidence, “what are they basing their opinion on,” (2014 p. 1). Step five is pay attention to the language, “Phrases such as “as far as I know” or “it seems likely that” should sound alarm bells in your head,” (2014, p. 1). Language like that is most likely an author trying to impose their opinions on you as facts. Step six is don’t get lost in the details, step seven is annotate your books, step eight is write, and step nine is engage in debate. Step nine is my favorite because I think it is important to share and discuss different topics openly and see others points of view.       

            I think you can gain a lot from formulas especially with this topic. It has allowed me to go step by step and think of my own opinions of Hillary Clinton. Formulas are something that we can all use for a variety of different things.

 References

9 Ways to Think More Rationally and Develop Your Own Opinions. (2014). Retrieved September 18, 2016, from https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/rationally-develop-opinions.html