[madnak]

I think it's best for an intelligent person to "over-correct" sometimes. Intelligent people are used to being right, and so it's hard for them to get into the habit of questioning their conclusions. They start to just assume everything they do is right, and as a result someone less intelligent but more perceptive or careful may achieve a greater level of accuracy.

I think it's useful sometimes to step back and think, "what if I'm wrong?" Or even look at your own arguments and try to refute them, try to put yourself in your opponent's place. At worst they give you a better understanding of why you're right, but sometimes they can yield surprising insights that you'd never think to find without consciously suspending your disbelief. These insights aren't necessarily even related to the argument you're having!

But the strange thing is that in spite of the results, it can get hard or even scary. Religion is one subject in particular that really starts to scare me when I consider its truth. I don't think it's all about the fire and brimstone either - it happens with Buddhism, Taoism, all that stuff. It makes me feel like I'm sinking in the ocean. I think it's just the dissonance that stems from questioning hard assumptions that I have.