Can everybody be sensible, yet come to different conclusions?

Before I address the topic question, let me lay out the personality dimensions I use.  Using them will show that people who disagree are not being nonsensical, but are evaluating the facts and possibilities of reality with different concerns in mind.  Please note when I discuss the dimensions I emphasize the extreme positions to make them clear. Most people are not at a dimension pole. They tend toward one side or the other.

Baseball manager and umpire argue vociferously. One set of facts. Two different interpretations.
Baseball manager and umpire argue vociferously.
One set of facts. Two different interpretations

Personality Dimensions

Stability—Dynamic Dimension (conservative to liberal spectrum)

  • Stability—see the successes of past; therefore desire to keep things the same
  • Dynamic—see the inequities of the present; therefore desire to change things
  • Although most dimensions are relatively independent of social position, Stability—Dynamic is not.
    • If you have high status, you tend to experience and see the status quo’s benefits.
    • If you have low status, you tend to experience and see the flaws in the operation of the status quo.

Pragmatism—Purism Dimension (ideological spectrum)

  • For good results, a pragmatist is willing to forego principle
  • No matter the results, a purist must adhere to principle

Risk—Reward Dimension  (Fear—Greed tradeoff)

  • These are 2 separate dimensions that, because of the way the world works, the position you take on one dimension implies a stance in the other dimension.
  • How much risk are you willing to take to gain a potential reward?

Immediate Satisfaction—Delayed Gratification Dimension

  • Do you regularly give in to your immediate desires so that your long-term goals don’t get enough time, energy, and attention, making you fall short of them?
  • Do you plan so much for the future, that you don’t take any pleasure in the present?

Natural—Theoretical Dimension (one basis for morality)

  • Naturalist believe humans developed and evolved with certain behavioral traits – eating meat, being heterosexual. Implying those acts are natural; are right; are morally good
  • Theoreticians believe humans can act any way they envision. The acts are possible. The future is ours to make. We can chose from any theoretical possible behavior.

Logical-Creative Dimension (preferred style of thinking)

  • Logic people are exact, sticking to what they know. Logical people have words flowing around inside their head.
  • Creative people are inexact. They guess what is missing. Creative people have images and ideas popping into their consciousness.
    • They see relationships between things that logical thinkers call different
    • They have hunches that something is going to happen, because they’ve seen this pattern before.

The particular philosophical dimension a person takes affects how facts are ordered, arranged, prioritized, and linked in a person’s thoughts and decision-making. In that manner, two people with distinct philosophical perspectives can both claim to be logical and yet disagree.


Picture of manager and umpire arguing by Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Team Photographer

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