Many matters，however，are le88 easily brought to the test of experience．If，like most of mankind，youhave passionate convictions on many such matters．there are ways in which you can make yourself aware 0fyour own bias．If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry，that is a sign that you are subconsciouslyaware of having，no good reason for thinking as you do．If someone maintains that two and two are five,orthatIcelandis onthe equator，youfeelpity ratherthan anger，unlessyou know SOlittleof arithmetic or geo-graphy that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction．The most savage controversies are those：aboutmatters as to which there is no good evidence either way．Persecution is used in theology，not in arithmetic,because in arithmetic there is knowledge，but in theology there is only opinion．So whenever you findyourself getting angry about a difference of opinion，be on your guard；you will probably find，onexamination。that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants．
A good way of riding yourself of certain kinds of dogmatis mis to become aware of opinions held in socialcircles different from your Own．When 1 was young。I lived much outside my own country——in France Germany，Italy，and the United States．I found this very profitable in diminis hing the intensity of insularpreiudice．If you cannot travel，seek out people with whom you dis agree，and read a newspaper belonging toa party that is not yours．If the people and the newspaper seem mad，perverse，and wicked，remind yourselfthat you seem so to them．In this opinion beth parties may be right，but they cannot both be wrong．This reflection should generate a certain caution．
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