The ladder of inference

The Ladder of Inference is an idea developed by Harvard professor Chris Argyris to show how we can often make inferences in the way we perceive other people and their actions towards us. With several steps on this ladder, there is plenty of room for error on our part if we assume that we always know what is right and that we are hearing other people correctly. A humble stance can allow us to acknowledge that perhaps discernment is needed.

Two examples I used in a recent homily are below.


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