Skepticism by Leila

Skepticism by Leila - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

“How do you know what you think you know?”

That was the first thing that came out of my Research Method teacher's mouth as we took our seats as anxious juniors on our first day of school.

I had no idea where to start. What do you mean how do I know? I just know. What do you mean what I think I know? I was just sure I knew, no thinking necessary. However, after a few minutes into thinking about and discussing it until my head hurt, I realized it had to do with my experiences, teachers, and how I was raised.

I never thought of myself as old-fashioned, but joining the Communication Arts Program (CAP) in high school was a wakeup call. My peers challenged my unconditional respect for authority that is emphasized in Ethiopian culture. The CAP atmosphere is one where it is okay to question the teacher and engage in passionate debate. It was in this Research Method class, with this teacher, that this core ability was tested the most. The entire class was dedicated essentially to arguing with the teacher and making us into skeptics.

With a sly smile, my teacher would pick fights with us. He would make statements he knew we would disagree with in order to make us think about other perspectives and strengthen our debate skills.

I was shocked. All my life, I was taught never to argue with an adult, and here we were encouraged to do just that. I was forced to think critically and daringly, or else I wouldn’t learn. To learn, you must understand, and to understand, you must ask questions. All of this I learned from my research methods teacher through discussions about the achievement gap, response to Hurricane Katrina, and many other current events. I learned to question what I thought I knew from the very first day of class, and it’s this skepticism and analytical skill that I continue to use throughout my life.