THINKING FOR YOURSELF: CH 2 WORD PRECISION

THINKING FOR YOURSELF

CH 2: WORD PRECISION

This chapter discusses word precision, such as the right word to use, how clear thinking leads to clear word definition, what definition is and what kinds of definitions there are, connotation and critical reading. When you use the right word you learn more, extend your vocabulary, and leads to better understanding. A thesaurus is a good tool to help you find different usages for words. Clear thinking depends on clear word definition. Establish two habits: pay attention if you don’t fully understand a word and take the time to clear things up. If you come upon a confusing word, always use a dictionary to find the definition. When defining a word, the word is the term, and the term belongs to a class. A class is the largest family which the term is related to. Scientific, simulative, inventive, personal, poetic, whimsical, philological, eccentric, and persuasive are all different kinds of definition that can help you have a better understanding of a word from different views. Connotation plays a big part of definition; connotation of a word is what you associate that word to and how it makes you react, good or bad. When it comes to critical thinking you have to have neutral and accurate comprehension and control biases so you can relay the information without any changes.