Introduction
In her essay “Outbreak of the Irrational,” Sarah Dzubay examines the ways in which irrational fears and ideas can proliferate quickly and harm society. She contends that people should be critical thinkers and evaluate these views since these bursts of irrationality might result in risky behaviors and viewpoints. The purpose of this paper is to present a critique of Dzubay’s argument, a response to her thesis, and an analysis of her writing process.
Summary
Dzubay explains in “Outbreak of the Irrational” how irrational ideas and fears can spread swiftly and have unfavorable effects. She gives various instances, including the 1980s Satanic Panic, in which people thought that Satanists were sacrificing babies, and the anti-vaccination movement, in which people refused to vaccinate their kids out of concern for autism. Dzubay contends that these irrational outbursts are risky and that it is crucial for people to be critical thinkers and challenge these views.
Purpose and Evidence
Dzubay aims to encourage readers to think critically by enlightening them about the perils of illogical ideas and anxieties. To demonstrate how illogical ideas can result in destructive behaviors and beliefs, she gives various examples, including the Satanic Panic and the anti-vaccination movement. She also talks about the psychology that underlies these bursts of irrationality and how fear and groupthink may be involved (Dzubay, 2021)—illogical outbursts and how fear and groupthink may play a role.
The aim of Dzubay’s essay is to increase awareness of the peril of illogical beliefs and anxieties as well as the value of critical thinking. She presents numerous examples of how these bursts of irrationality have resulted in damaging behaviors and beliefs and discusses the psychology behind these events in order to make a strong case. She does this to challenge readers’ views, make them aware of the effects of fear and groupthink, and encourage them to evaluate the information they are given critically. Ultimately, Dzubay’s essay is potent in appealing to readers and increasing their awareness of and vigilance toward the propagation of irrationality.
Writing Strategy
Dzubay makes her case in her writing by employing persuasive techniques. She illustrates her points with interesting examples and keeps the reader interested with questions and tales. She also used rhetorical questions to compel the reader to reflect on their own beliefs and to challenge their way of thinking. Dzubay uses a number of potent writing techniques to make her point. The essay is understandable to a wide audience thanks to the author’s straightforward and succinct writing style (Dzubay, 2021). Her argument is strengthened by the numerous examples from the real world that she uses to support it.
Dzubay also backs up her arguments with logical arguments and proof from reliable sources, including historical facts and psychological research. These techniques are combined by Dzubay to produce a compelling and captivating argument that will probably encourage readers to take her message seriously. Overall, her writing style successfully communicates her point of view and draws readers into an insightful dialogue.
Effectiveness
Overall, Dzubay’s essay is successful in advancing her thesis regarding the perils of illogical fears and beliefs. Her persuasive writing style engages the reader and promotes critical thinking while providing convincing examples and evidence to back her thesis. The essay’s main flaw is that it might not address the underlying causes of these unreasonable outbursts, such as socioeconomic issues or psychological illnesses.
The way that Dzubay writes effectively communicates her ideas and holds readers’ attention. She provides a strong argument for the value of critical thinking and the perils of irrationality using specific instances and logical arguments. Each section of her essay is clearly laid out and easy to understand, and she makes a strong case for each point she makes. Her essay is approachable to a wide variety of readers due to her straightforward and friendly writing style (Dzubay, 2021). Overall, Dzubay’s essay is quite successful in accomplishing its goals of increasing readers’ awareness of the perils of irrational ideas and inspiring them to develop their critical thinking skills.
Response
I concur with Dzubay’s thesis that it is crucial to be a critical thinker and to challenge illogical beliefs and anxieties in her essay. However, it is critical to deal with the underlying causes of these unreasonable outbursts, including socioeconomic issues or psychological problems. For instance, some people may be more prone to illogical ideas and worries as a result of traumatic events or mental health problems. Hence, it is critical to offer assistance and resources to people who could be dealing with these problems.
Keiser University Library Source
Anxiety and erroneous health attitudes are related, according to a study written in the Journal of Health Psychology. According to the study, people who experience high levels of worry are more prone to have illogical views about their health, such as thinking they are seriously unwell even if they are not. This lends credence to the hypothesis that psychological factors may influence unreasonable outbursts.
An article by Kostopoulou et al. titled “Cognitive Biases in Health Care Decision Making: A Systematic Review” is one source from the Keiser University Library that backs up Dzubay’s claims. This article looks at how cognitive biases might influence medical judgment, resulting in incorrect diagnoses and other undesirable results (Kostopoulou et al., 2022). The authors contend that adopting a more critical thinking mindset and becoming aware of these biases can assist in lessening their effects. This source backs up Dzubay’s claim that critical thinking and awareness of cognitive biases might result in better decision-making in healthcare and other aspects of life (Kostopoulou et al., 2022). Additionally, it offers more proof of the value of critical thinking in handling complicated problems.
Possible Objection and Counterargument
It may be challenging to pinpoint and address these underlying reasons, which is one argument against the idea of tackling outbreaks of irrationality. I argue, however, that we can assist people in recognizing and resolving these challenges by giving them knowledge and resources about critical thinking and mental health (Dzubay, 2021). The fact that irrational beliefs and anxieties are frequently firmly rooted and challenging to get rid of is one possible response to Dzubay’s claim. Some may contend that only encouraging people to exercise critical thought is insufficient to address these pervasive issues.
To answer this criticism, it is crucial to stress that, despite being challenging, getting over irrationality is not impossible. People can start to question their own presumptions and ideas by promoting critical thinking and increasing awareness of the risks associated with illogical views. Furthermore, social interventions like educational and media literacy initiatives can support the expansion of critical thinking on a larger scale. Although overcoming irrationality can be difficult, it is a worthwhile endeavor for the benefit of both individuals and society as a whole.
Conclusion
In summary, Sarah Dzubay’s article “Outbreak of the Irrational” is a potent appeal to readers to raise their awareness of and skepticism against the propagation of irrational ideas and concerns. Dzubay develops a convincing case for the value of critical thinking through her use of lucid writing, concrete examples, and logical justifications. Although others would disagree, Dzubay’s essay serves as a reminder that getting past irrationality is a crucial endeavor. We can steer clear of the perilous effects of irrationality and make better decisions by exercising critical thought and challenging our views. The article by Kostopoulou et al. shows how awareness of cognitive biases and critical thinking might improve decision-making.
References
Dzubay, S. (2021). Outbreak of the irrational. Web.
Kostopoulou, O., Nurek, M., Delaney, B., & Kourtidis, P. (2022). Influences of early diagnostic suggestions on clinical reasoning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7(1). Web.